Blessed
by MyImmortal329
Summary: Sequel to Heartsong. After tragedy strikes, several citizens of Colorado Springs try to pick of the pieces left behind. The Sully family starts planning to expand.
1. Split Second

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The rights to those characters and to the show belong to the creators of the show, to CBS, The Sullivan Company and to A&E. This is the sequel to "Heartsong."**

**Blessed**

**Chapter 1: Split Second**

A terrifying silence followed the scream heard by the townsfolk. It was if time had stopped for a split second, and as the moment passed, the eerie, biting wind began to blow again. Everyone was stunned, not sure of what they heard, but as the shock of the blood-curdling scream wore off, everyone slowly left their shops and homes to find out what had happened.

As everyone joined outside, including Matthew Cooper who had just arrived in town from a walk with Ingrid. The only sound was that of a baby crying from its cradle in Emily Donovan's home. A dog barked in the distance, and as the sun disappeared in the horizon, the sound of a horse galloping nearer was heard.

Hank was the first to spot the rider.

"Myra!"

"Help!" she screamed out. The shriek in her voice had been the same shriek heard by everyone in town; the sound that terrified and sparked curiosity at the same time. Myra's horse skidded to a halt and Hank helped her down. Her cheeks were read from the cold, and they were stained by her tears. Horace swallowed hard, knowing that Myra and Holly had gone riding together. Where was Holly.

"What happened?" Horace asked, rushing over as he held Mary's hand.

"Where's my ma?" Mary asked. Myra gasped for air, the bitter chill of the air made her breathing labored and painful. Myra collapsed in Hank's arms and began to sob.

"We were riding," she gasped, the constriction of her air passages barely letting her voice be heard above the commotion. "She fell!"

"Holly?!" Horace asked, terror gripping his heart and squeezing tightly. "Where is she? Is she hurt?"

"She fell," Myra repeated. "The horse slid on a patch of ice that was hidden underneath the snow. Holly couldn't hold her balance. The horse fell and Holly flew over his head. She landed . . . oh God." She broke down into tears again. The memory flashed through her mind, making her feel ill. "She fell and she didn't get back up." She clutched Hank and he pulled her tight.

"Shh, it's alright," he whispered, scared to death of what his wife had seen.

"You just left her out there?!" Horace demanded.

"Mama!" Mary cried, clutching Horace's leg. "I want my ma!"

"I came for help," Myra insisted. "Her neck was twisted in such a way. Oh God. I don't think she made it through the fall." She broke down again."

"Get her into the clinic," Grace demanded of Hank. "She needs to get warm."

"Come on, fellas. We best go look for Holly," Loren suggested. He looked at Jake and Horace who were both standing there, stricken with fear. Hank wasn't going to leave Myra's side, so Horace nudged Jake, knowing that Horace must be devastated. "Ain't ya gonna help me, Jake?" Jake swallowed hard, looking down at little Mary who was shaking uncontrollably with her sobs. Her knuckles were turning white from clutching Horace's pant leg so tightly. Jake knew there was no way that Horace was going to be able to see Holly like this, if she was in fact dead. He didn't think he could bear it either, but little Mary was clutching Horace so tightly that it didn't look as if she was going to let him go.

"I'm comin'," Jake whispered.

"I'll come too," Horace replied.

"Horace, ya don't need to see her like this," Loren replied. "You loved her, and that little girl needs you now more than ever."

"She can't be dead."

"We ain't sure of nothin' right now. She may just be knocked out," Jake replied quickly, trying to deny that the woman he loved was probably dead. He just couldn't get the picture of her lying on the snow with a twisted neck out of his head. No. She couldn't be dead. He couldn't even think it."

"Mama!" Mary screamed. Horace picked the little ten-year-old up into his arms and held her close.

"It's alright, Mary," he whispered. "Let's go inside and get you warm." The tears hadn't even started to flow for Horace yet. He was in shock, but everyone knew that he was going to be a mess if Holly really was dead.

"I'll come too," Robert E. insisted, looking at Loren.

"Me too," Matthew spoke up. Robert E., Loren, Matthew, and Jake started over toward the meadow, all hoping and praying silently that Holly was alright. As they walked toward the meadow, the women filed into the clinic to check on Myra and little Mary. Everyone was shaken up, and there was no way of knowing what was going to happen now. If Holly was dead, a little girl would be left without a mother; a man would be left heartbroken.

Horace tried to pass Mary over to Grace, but the little girl wouldn't un-wrap her arms from his neck. She was crying so hard, and it broke Horace's heart even more.

"Papa! Papa! Don't let her go away!" Mary screamed. Horace swallowed hard. Mary was calling him papa for the first time. He had considered himself as a father-figure to Mary for a long time now, and he didn't know what would happen if Holly was gone. What would happen to Mary? She'd be an orphan, and a half-colored one at that. He couldn't let anyone take her away, but he wasn't sure what it would be like to take care of a little girl who had the likeness of Holly in her face.

"Shh," Horace whispered. "Don't worry, Mary. It's all gonna be alright. It's gotta be alright."

The snow was starting to come down in blankets, and the meadow seemed to be getting further and further away as the men waded nearly knee-deep through the mess. They could see Holly's horse in the center of the meadow, trying to graze at the dead grass so far beneath the snow. From what they could see, he was moving around well, and probably hadn't gone lame. The first thing that came over Jake's mind was that Holly loved animals, and it would be a shame if they had to put the animal down if it went lame.

"I see somethin' in the snow. That looks like Miss Tucker's coat," Matthew pointed out.

"I think you're right," Loren replied grimly. The men journeyed on, hoping that Holly was going to be alright, and that Myra had just been hysterical when she described Holly's accident. Perhaps she had exaggerated a bit, thinking what she was saying was right. Everyone hoped that Holly Tucker was alive, because she had the ability to bring out something in everyone; to touch the soul of the hardest person.

Dread filled Jake's heart as they neared Holly's still form. As soon as he saw that she was quickly becoming buried in the snow, he rushed to her against the blinding snow. He fell to his knees in the snow beside her.

"Holly?" he asked weakly. "Holly? Answer me." He looked at the way her neck was settled, and he knew something was wrong. She was too still. "Holly! Answer me!" The other men caught up to Jake and stood around Holly. "Ya gotta wake up!"

"Jake," Loren started quietly. Robert E. knelt down and felt for the woman's pulse.

"She's gone," Robert E. whispered, glancing up at the other men. They all removed their hats and braced the cold wind and snow. Jake kept his hat on, and he pulled Holly into his arms as he sat in the snow.

"Come on, Jake. Let's get her back to town."

"I never even got to say goodbye," Jake sobbed. "She was my friend." She swallowed hard. "I loved her." The men had never seen Jake break down like this, and it was a bit unsettling, but at least they knew he could expression real emotions. It was just a shame that the woman he loved had to die in order for that to happen. Robert E. knelt down next to Jake.

"We gotta get her into town."

"Yeah," Matthew agreed. He knew that as soon as Michaela and Sully got home, they would have to hear the news. Matthew knew Michaela would take it the hardest because she and Holly had become very close friends. It wasn't fair. Why did Holly have to die? She and Horace were happy together, and she had her little girl who loved her more than anyone else in the world. It didn't seem right that she could be taken away like that.

The Reverend, who had been at the church, was now making his way over. He had been practicing at the piano and hadn't heard the screams. He had only looked out of his window by chance to see the men gathered around Holly.

"What happened?" he asked as he neared the group.

"Holly Tucker got thrown from her horse. She's dead," Loren replied quietly.

"Oh no," Reverend Johnson replied, shaking his head. "She was a good woman." Jake looked up at the Reverend.

"She was a good woman?" he asked. "She just got killed and that's all you can say? 'She was a good woman?!'"

"Jake, I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say."

"Try something a little deeper than that, Reverend! She was beautiful and loved everybody. She didn't deserve this!"

"Nobody deserves it, Jake, but ya can't change what happened. Ya can't fix it," Loren insisted.

"We're all gonna miss her," Matthew whispered. "She was a great teacher and she was a good friend to my ma." Jake looked at Holly's lifeless body and shook his head.

"She can't be dead," he whispered. "She can't be!"

"We best get her into town," Reverend Johnson said quietly. Robert E. moved to pull Jake up, but Jake pushed him away.

"I'll take her," he replied bitterly.

"Let's take her to the clinic. We'll bury her in the morning," Reverend Johnson suggested.

"Bury?" Jake asked. "Maybe, maybe she's just cold. Maybe her heart's beatin' too slow to tell she's alive. Dr. Mike'll be back soon. She can help her."

"No Jake," Loren replied.

"I'm sorry," Matthew whispered, turning to look toward the town. The sun had completely set now and it was dark.

"We better go, Jake," Loren urged. Jake stood shakily with Holly in his arms. He kissed Holly's pale, cold cheek.

"Goodbye," he whispered before he started off toward town with her limp, lifeless body in his arms.

The other men followed behind silently, not knowing quite what to say to their friend who had just lost a woman he never could have had. They all knew Holly and Horace were in love, and it only would have been a matter of time before they became husband and wife. Little did they know was that Horace and Holly had gotten engaged earlier that afternoon. Now all that was left of Holly was that little girl of hers. Mary was alone now, and that was the next concern. What was going to happen to her now?

As soon as they reached the clinic, Robert E. moved to open the door. Grace, Dorothy, Myra, Hank, Horace, and Mary, among a few other concerned citizens were seated in the main room.

"Holly!" Horace exclaimed as he saw her in Jake's arms.

"Mama!" Mary cried out. The grim expressions on the weary men's faces told everyone that this was bad.

Jake put Holly down on the exam table and kissed her forehead. He looked at Horace, Mary, and the other folks in the room. After that, he turned toward the door and hurried to his shop, needing to be alone.

"She's gone, Horace, I'm sorry," Reverend Johnson explained, putting a hand on the distraught man's shoulder.

"No! She . . . she can't be!" Horace exclaimed. He picked up her hand and studied it. The ring was gone. She must have lost it in the snow. He began to weep and nobody knew what to say. "We were to be married. She can't be gone! She can't be. We were gonna spend the rest of our lives together."

The Sully family left for Colorado Springs early the next morning. Since the children had been woken up at three that morning, they were now sleeping in the stagecoach while the tired parents played with their twin sons. Connor was in Michaela's lap, and Daniel was in Sully's. The boys were kicking around and smiling brightly. The proud parents were beaming with excitement despite their exhaustion from the past few days.

"I can't believe how fast they're growing. They are just over three months old, and they are starting to be their own little persons. They have completely different personalities."

"It's easier to tell 'em apart that way." Michaela smiled.

"I wonder if we'll have a daughter one day?"

"If we try hard enough, we just might," Sully replied with a smile, leaning over to kiss his wife. Just as they were pulling apart from one another, Connor let out his first real laugh. Both Michaela and Sully gasped and stared down at their son.

"Oh my goodness!" Michaela exclaimed. "He's laughing!" Sully grinned proudly down at his son and reached over to tickle the baby's tummy. Connor laughed again and Michaela burst into tears. Sully looked at Michaela with astonishment.

"Michaela? What's wrong?"

"He's growing up so fast!" she cried.

"He's only three months old."

"I know, but he's laughing already," she replied. She realized that she was probably a bit emotional from the past couple of days. Sully knew it too, and he simply kissed her hand and patted it. He looked down at Daniel, who was grinning up at him.

"Aren't ya gonna laugh for papa?" Sully asked. He made a face at his young son, and stuck his tongue out. Michaela grinned and dabbed the remaining tears away from her eyes as she watched her husband and son playing together. A moment later, Daniel began to laugh and Michaela felt the urge to cry again. But, she kept it inside and smiled, enjoying the beautiful sound of her little boy's laughter.

As she watched them, something inside of her seemed to click. She loved all of the precious moments she and Sully got to spend with their children. Colleen, Brian, and Matthew were amazing kids, and she felt so honored to be thought of as their mother. Now that the boys were here, everything was even more wonderful. The cries and the laughter of a child brought new meaning to life, and that's what Michaela loved the most. She loved her children and her husband. They brought joy to her everyday, and she couldn't think of anything else that could do that.

Sully looked up to see Michaela staring at him. The look on her face told him that the wheels were turning in her mind.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied with a shy smile.

"Alright, Michaela. Something's going on. You're gonna tell me eventually, so just spit it out."

"I want to have another baby."

"What?!" Sully asked, nearly choking.

"You said that you'd like to have another one," Michaela replied.

"I do want another one, but I thought you wanted to wait."

"I do want to wait a little while. I think it would be best if we waited until Daniel and Connor are older because newborns take a lot of attention. But, I just want you to know that if it does happen again, I'll be more than happy to be expecting another child." Sully sighed softly and kissed his wife.

"Me too. It's gonna happen again, Michaela," he whispered.

"I know," she replied with a confident nod. "But for now, we can focus on the five beautiful children that we do have." Connor yawned and Michaela pulled him into her arms. "What wrong, my love?" Connor's eyes slowly began to close as Michaela rocked him back and forth and began to hum to him. She looked at Sully and whispered to him. "We are truly blessed, Sully. I feel like we're the luckiest parents in the world." Sully grinned and began to rock Daniel back and forth in time with Michaela's movements with Connor.

"I gotta say I agree with ya," he replied. "A lot of people ain't got half as much love as we got." Michaela smiled and glanced over at Colleen and Brian. Both of them were leaning against the sides of the coach. Michaela couldn't believe how much they'd grown since she had met them. Brian was nine and growing taller by the month. Colleen was thirteen and growing into a beautiful young woman. Then there was Matthew back at home who was sixteen and becoming a man before everyone's eyes. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before he went to college, which she hoped he would, or decided to settle down and marry Ingrid. Michaela loved Ingrid dearly, and she wanted Matthew to be happy, but she still wasn't sure if he was ready to marry yet. She knew that in the summer, he'd be seventeen, and he'd be making the decision of whether or not he wanted to go to college.

It seemed as if every time Matthew mentioned marrying Ingrid, it would spin into an argument between him and Michaela. Michaela wondered what Charlotte would think of her son wanting to marry so young. It wasn't uncommon. Emily Donovan was very young, not much older than twenty-two or so, and she already had two children. Michaela supposed it just didn't seem right seeing her oldest son getting married when she hadn't had much time to spend with him yet as a mother. But she would enjoy the time she had with her family while it was still together, because she knew that as soon as Matthew was of age, he would be moving away and starting his own life apart from theirs.

Colorado Springs wore the color of mourning the next day as Holly's coffin was lowered into the frozen ground. The gravediggers had worked all through the night to break through. Mary and Horace were devastated beyond belief, and Jake hadn't managed to make it out of his shop to get to the funeral. His grief had caused him to go on another binge, and he had passed out, feeling as if he didn't want to wake up. He wanted to sleep through it all and not have to be reminded that Holly had died.

As Horace walked with Mary through the meadow after the funeral, the little girl gripped his hand as she stared at the blinding snow.

"Everything's gonna be alright, Mary."

"Do I have to go away?" she asked quietly.

"No," he replied. "I'll take care of you, sweetheart." Mary looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You will?"

"You're like a daughter to me, Mary."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he replied picking her up into his arms. "I love you."

"I love you too, papa." As they walked, the sunlight sparkled off of something that stuck up out of the snow in the spot where Holly's body had fallen. Horace slowly put Mary down and walked over to kneel down in the spot. Holly's engagement ring was partially preserved in the snow that had fallen the night before. Horace felt the tears begin to fall again, and pulled the ring up to his lips and kissed the small diamond. His body began to tremble with sorrow, and Mary wrapped her arms around Horace. "It's okay, papa. I'll take care of you." Horace looked up at the sky. There wasn't a cloud up there, and the sun was shining down on the frozen town of Colorado Springs. Holly would have loved it. She loved the sunlight, and Horace could just see her standing out in the meadow with the sunlight sparkling down on her as if she was sent from Heaven. "Ma's not comin' back, is she?"

"No, Mary, she's not," Horace replied, putting the ring into his pocket and picking Mary up again. They started off toward town again where Grace was serving hot chocolate to warm everyone up after the funeral. "She up in Heaven with the angels."

"You think she's happy?"   
"I think she is," Horace replied with a smile, sighing heavily. "And I think all of the angels in Heaven are happier with her to keep them company."

The stagecoach pulled into Colorado Springs, and the Sully family was surprised to see that nobody was around, especially when it wasn't the weekend. None of the shops appeared to be open, and the few people wandering around seemed tired or sad.

"Can we go home?" Colleen asked with a yawn.

"Yes, of course," Michaela replied, getting out of the stagecoach. "I need to pick up a few things at the clinic. Colleen, help your father with the twins while he gets the wagon from the livery." Colleen nodded, and she and Brian hurried after Sully.

Michaela stepped into the clinic and rubbed her cold hands together. She went about, re-stocking her medical bag as she wondered what was going on in town. She contemplated going upstairs to check on Mary and Holly, but she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She was surprised to see Matthew enter the room.

"Ma!" he exclaimed. Michaela noticed that he was dressed up.

"Hello sweetheart," she said with a smile, walking over to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"It's good that you're back."

"What were you doing upstairs?" Matthew swallowed hard.

"I was getting some of Mary's things." Michaela looked down to see that he was carrying a small suitcase and the doll that Colleen had given the child. "She's stayin' with Horace."

"What? Where's Holly." Matthew looked down and Michaela could see that something was troubling him. "Where is anyone, for that fact?"   
"Most of the folks are at Grace's. After the funeral . . ."

"Funeral?" Michaela asked, her eyes wide with worry.

"Miss Tucker got thrown from a horse last night," he replied. "The horse slipped on a patch of ice, and she fell . . . broke her neck."

"Oh my God," Michaela cried, tears flowing immediately. "Not Holly!"

"I'm sorry ma. I know she meant a lot to you." Sully rushed into the clinic to see his son holding Michaela.

"I just heard," Sully said quietly as the children followed in behind him. Everyone had grim looks upon their faces, and Michaela seemed devastated. Though she had acquired a great deal of blessings in the past year, she had had a great deal of losses and tragedies in her life. This just added to that pile.

"The funeral was this mornin'."

"Michaela, we best get you home," Sully whispered, rubbing his wife's back.

"No, I need to say goodbye," she replied. She dried her eyes and started off toward the graveyard to say her goodbyes to a simple wooden cross.


	2. Anniversary

Chapter 2: Anniversary 

Despite the sadness that had recently plagued the town of Colorado Springs, the Christmas spirit was alive in the air. It was Christmas morning, and the children in town were running around with new toys, wearing new clothes, which their parents knew they so desperately needed. Horace wanted little Mary to have a good Christmas, and so did the other people of the town. He had put all of Mary's gifts under the Christmas tree after she went to bed. It was going to be a rough Christmas, but they had each other. They were going to spend the day together as father and daughter.

While the townsfolk celebrated Christmas in their homes together, the Sully family was still sleeping warmly in their beds.

Sully and Michaela had snuck downstairs in the middle of the night to put new presents from Josef, Michaela's sisters, the townsfolk, and of course, from the both of them as well. Sully had made Brian a new sled, and Michaela had bought Colleen a beautiful gown she could wear to the Christmas party in town that evening. There were several gifts for everyone, and it was sure to be a very exciting morning.

The door the Michaela and Sully's room swung open, and Brian ran in.

"It's Christmas!" he exclaimed. Luckily Michaela and Sully were dressed, or that would have been quite an embarrassing scene. The two sat up in bed as if they'd been shot, and stared sleepily at their son. It was seven in the morning, and they were amazed the boy had waited that long.

Colleen hurried in after him, followed by Matthew who was a bit less excited about Christmas. Of course the two older children knew that Santa Claus wasn't real, so it took a bit of the magic away, but they still enjoyed Christmas anyway.

"Santa came! Can we go open presents?" Brian pleaded.

"He's been waitin' since five," Matthew said with a laugh. Michaela and Sully grinned at each other and looked at their children.

"Go on down," Sully replied. "You can start openin' presents. We'll be down in a few minutes."

"Okay!" The children hurried out of the room. Michaela and Sully turned to one another.

"Merry Christmas," Michaela whispered, kissing Sully's lips.

"Mmm, Merry Christmas. Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary," Michaela chuckled. "Can you believe it, Sully? We've been married for a whole year now."

"Seems like it's gone by so fast."

"Yes," Michaela agreed.

"I got ya somethin'."

"I thought we weren't exchanging Christmas presents."

"We're not," Sully replied. "This is for our anniversary." Sully walked over to the closet and dug around inside for a few moments before pulling out a small package. He walked over to sit next to Michaela on the bed. Michael sighed and smiled a little.

"Oh Sully," she whispered. "I'm sorry. The thought never crossed my mind to . . . I don't have a gift for you." She looked down. Sully tilted her chin up with his fingertips and kissed her lips.

"You're already a gift to me." Michaela's heart melted, and she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, kissing him hungrily, loving how amazing his words were; how they could affect her so much. Sully chuckled softly and pulled away from his wife.

"What?"

"Aren't ya gonna open it?"

"Oh! Of course!" Michaela exclaimed. She hadn't felt this happy in weeks, and for a few minutes, she was grateful to not have to be sad or bogged down in grief over the loss of her friend.

She slowly unwrapped the gift, and she was awestruck when she held a small wooden ebony box. On the lid were several different colored stones.

"Sully?" she asked.

"They're the kids' birth stones. One for all five of 'em."

"Oh Sully," she whispered. "It's beautiful."

"When we add to our family, we'll have to add to the box." He bit his bottom lip and nodded toward the box. "Open it up." She slowly lifted the lid of the box, and a soft melody began to play. Michaela's eyes lit up. "You recognize it?"

"Of course I do! This is the first song we ever danced to! We were in the park in Boston."

"Yup," Sully replied with a proud grin.

"I can't believe you remembered."

"'Course I remembered. That was the first time I realized I couldn't be without you."

"But you did leave."

"I couldn't admit it to myself at the time, but I knew it my heart that you and I were supposed to be together."

"Oh," Michaela whispered with a smile upon her lips. "You really are the most wonderful man I've ever met."

"Oh you're just sayin' that 'cause I got ya a gift." Michaela laughed and playfully smacked his arm. Sully chuckled and pulled Michaela into his arms.

"I'm serious. This is a beautiful gift."

"I'm glad ya like it."

"Ma! Pa!" came Brian's urgent and excited cries from downstairs. Michaela grinned at Sully.

"We should get downstairs and watch them open their presents." Sully nodded in agreement. Michaela pulled on her robe while Sully pulled on his warmest shirt to keep away the cold. They each took a baby into their arms.

"Merry Christmas, little ones," Michaela whispered. "This is your first Christmas, and there will be many more to come."

"Come on," Sully whispered. They started down the stairs and found the children ripping the paper away from their gifts. They all seemed pleased with the gifts they had received, though Michaela and Sully couldn't exactly afford to spend a lot seeing as there were five children, and money was tight since the twins were born.

As soon as all of the presents had been opened, Sully and Matthew cleaned up all of the ripped paper. Colleen was making hot cocoa while Brian played with the new train cars that Sully had carved for him. The boy loved trains, so Sully figured that he'd appreciate having his own.

The twins were lying in their cradles, kicking around. They had recently learned how to roll onto their bellies, and that was just what Connor was attempting to do. Sully laughed as the boy's little head bobbed up and down in frustration before he finally built up enough strength to turn over in his cradle.

"That's my boy," Sully beamed, pulling him up into his arms. Connor giggled as Sully held him up. Once the hot cocoa had been passed around, the family sat around the fire, talking about random things, enjoying being together as a family.

"You're probably wonderin' why we don't have nothin' for ya as a present," Matthew started, clearing his throat as he looked at his present.

"That doesn't matter," Sully replied. "We told ya not to get us anything."

"Well, we did get ya somethin'. We didn't have money, but we came up with somethin'," Colleen began.

"Oh?" Michaela asked curiously.

"Today's your anniversary," Matthew pointed out.

"Well, yes."   
"We asked Myra is she'd mind us stayin' with her and Hank tonight so you and pa could have the house to yourselves for your anniversary."

"What?" Sully asked with a grin.

"Hank and Myra?"

"Yeah. Hank don't know about it," Brian laughed, "but Myra said she'd talk him into it. You and ma can have the house to yourselves. We'll even take the babies."

"The babies?" Michaela asked. "But . . ."

"They'll be alright for a night, ma," Colleen promised. "We took care of 'em, and made 'em bottles while you were away, remember?" Michaela looked at Sully. "We'll all spend the day together as a family, and tonight we'll go stay and Hank and Myra's."

"You're serious?" Michaela asked.

"Yeah! We figured it'd be a Christmas and anniversary present," Matthew said with a smile.

"And a wonderful present it is! But are you sure you want to spend Christmas evening at Hank and Myra's?"

"We've got all this mornin' and this afternoon with ya. We ain't gonna be doin' much after dark anyway 'cept sleepin'," Brian pointed out.

"And we'll just have Christmas lunch instead of Christmas dinner. We thought it'd be a nice surprise for ya, so ya have to accept." Sully and Michaela looked at each other and smiled lovingly.

"We accept," Sully replied. The children grinned happily at one another and the family continued with their morning conversation over cups of hot cocoa.

A man with dark hair and a neatly groomed mustache rode his purebred stallion into town. His coat was gray and perfectly clean. Those who saw him could swear he was straight from Washington. But he wasn't from Washington. No, he was from Georgia. His features were even tanned by the Georgia sun, though his face was a bit red from the biting wind and freezing snow of the Colorado countryside. Cassius Tucker was his name, a former plantation owner who had recently sold his estate to the highest bidder, took all of his cash, and started out in search of his daughter one final time. He had been searching for her since she disappeared, but now that the estate had been sold, he could dedicate the rest of his life to tracking down that woman if he had to.

He had heard that his daughter had been seen around these parts, but the little information he had been given wasn't quite enough to make him positive she was here. Just thinking about why his daughter had run off chilled him to the very core. He had a grandchild out there somewhere, a grandchild of mixed blood. If she had survived infancy, she was sure to be out there, looking like her mother and like a slave he'd killed for getting his little girl in trouble.

He spat when he thought of the so-called marriage between Holly and Marcus. Holly had wanted Cassius to accept it, and she had even thought that by keeping her maiden name, he would be more accepting. She had another thing coming, and he never would have accepted what she'd done. Killing Marcus was supposed to have ended it all, but once that baby was brought into the world, Cassius knew that Marcus' spirit was still living on. He couldn't have that around his plantation; around himself.

Cassius spat again and looked at the children who were running around in their new coats and scarves. He saw a few little girls playing with new baby dolls ordered all the way from Denver. He remembered ordering Holly those beautiful little dresses and dolls when she was a child, but he never saw her wear them, probably because he was never around to pay attention to her. He regretted never getting to know her as a child, and he blamed himself for her getting involved with that slave. Marcus had been worthless anyway, and he felt as if he was doing his daughter a great service by taking care of the situation.

Cassius dismounted his horse, and his shiny black boots seemed to glow in the sunlight. He noticed a little colored child standing inside of the telegraph office. It had been closed for the holiday, but Cassius needed a place to stay.

He knocked on the door of the telegraph office, and Mary opened the door. She looked up at him, and Cassius looked down at her, seeing something familiar about her.

"Merry Christmas," she said with a smile.

"Is your father home?"

"Papa!" Mary called. Horace appeared a moment later. He pulled Mary inside, and stood protectively in front of her.

"She sure doesn't look like you, mister."

"Can I help ya?"

"I'm looking for a room." His voice was thick with a southern accent, though he had perfect enunciation. He was obviously a wealthy, well-educated man.

"Well, there's a house across the street. The Widow Anderson is rentin' out rooms. If the doctor was in, she might let ya use a room above the clinic, but I can't help ya with that."

"Thank you," Cassius replied. He started off across the street to book a room. Horace looked down at Mary.

"Sweetheart, ya shoulda come and got me before you answered the door."

"Sorry pa," Mary replied. "Can I go play outside?"

"Just for a few minutes, alright?"

"Kay," she answered. She hurried out to play in the snow while Horace watched the stranger enter the boarding house. He went back to the telegraph to make sure that he didn't miss anything, and made a mental note to call Mary in after about five minutes.

Horace sighed as he looked at the diamond ring that lay in the box on his desk. Holly loved it so very much, and she never even got to share her happiness with her friends or her little girl. Everything had happened so fast, and Horace wasn't sure if he could ever move on from the loss he had suffered.

Every time he closed his eyes at night, he would see Holly's beautiful face. The little sleep he did get wasn't even a temporary relief from the pain. His dreams were filled with visions of his dead fiancée. Little Mary would curl up next to him, not wanting to sleep by herself. She looked so much younger than ten, and now that she didn't have her mother, she seemed to attach herself to Horace. He was happy that she'd asked to play outside, though he was afraid of her catching a cold.

He stood up to look out the window. He was relieved to see that a few children had included her in their snowball fights. He smiled as Mary laughed and played for the first time in two weeks. Everyone in town, for the most part, had grown to love Mary Tucker. She had been in Colorado Springs for a while now, and people had grown to really care of her. She was a sweet child, and now that she was orphaned, she needed lots of attention. Horace was happy to have her with him, and he hoped nobody would ever try to take her away.

Hank walked into one of the bedrooms to find Myra making up the bed. He was a little confused, because she didn't need to worry about it unless company was coming.

"What are ya doin'?"

"I'm making up the guest rooms."

"We're havin' guests?"

"Oh did I forget to tell you?" Myra asked innocently.

"Apparently." Myra smiled and walked over to wrap her arms around Hank's neck. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly. She grinned as Hank looked at her curiously. "Well, today is Dr. Mike and Sully's anniversary, and the children wanted to do somethin' nice for 'em. So, they're spendin' Christmas day with their folks, and they'll be stayin' here this evenin'."

"What? Why didn't ya tell me, Myra?" Hank complained.

"I guess it slipped my mind."

"How long ya been plannin' this?"

"'Bout a week."

"You didn't forget to tell me. Ya didn't tell me because ya knew I wouldn't like it."

"Oh come on, Hank! It'll be good practice for when we have babies!"

"Babies?" Hank asked. "Ya mean all of the kids are stayin' here?"

"Yeah," Myra replied. "Oh, it'll be fun."

"I ain't so sure about that."

"We'll it's already done. They're comin' over this evenin', so get used to it." Hank sighed.

"Don't think I'm changin' any diapers."

"If ya want our first son to be named after you, ya will."

"Oh come on, you're usin' kids we don't even have yet against me?"

"Well, I gotta have somethin' don't I? Come on, Hank, just think about it, please? Dr. Mike and Sully's kids are very well behaved. They ain't gonna get into trouble. They'll probably be full from lunch and go right to sleep." Hank grumbled for a moment, but forgot all about it once Myra began to shower him with kisses.

Michaela was upstairs putting on her nicest dress while the children and Sully were downstairs starting Christmas lunch. Thought Michaela was so happy to be able to spend the holiday with her family, she was even more relieved that she and Sully would get some privacy for their first anniversary. She began to blush as she thought of their first night as husband and wife. That was an unforgettable evening, and Michaela would never forget how amazingly patient Sully was with her. That had held up through the past year, and he was still patient, gentle, and loving.

One of the twins let out a giggle downstairs and Michaela smiled, thinking about how her family had changed over the past year. She had grown closer to her mother and sisters. She'd married the most amazing man she'd ever met, gained three wonder children, given birth to two very handsome baby boys, lost her mother, and this had all been in the matter of a year. It didn't seem possible!

"Michaela?" Sully asked as he stepped into the room. Michaela turned to see him standing beside the door. She smiled at him as he walked over toward her.

"Hmm?" He scooped her up into his arms as if he was going to carry her over the threshold. He surprised her with a tender kiss. Michaela's arms wrapped snugly around Sully's neck, and she let out a soft hum against his mouth.

"The turkey's almost done," he said when he pulled away. Michaela bit back a laugh.

"Oh Sully, that's the most romantic thing you've ever said to me." Sully thought about his words for a moment and they both burst out into fits of laughter. Sully put Michaela down and they hugged one another. Michaela laughed, burying her face in Sully's chest.

"Ma!" Colleen called from downstairs. "Can ya come help me?"

"Oh dear," Michaela replied. She sighed and kissed her husband. "I hope she knows that I'm not the best person to ask to help with food."

"You're getting better." Michaela rolled her eyes and took Sully's hand. They started down the stairs, and when they arrived, they saw that Brian had let Wolf and Pup inside. Pup was about Wolf's size now, so he took up even more room. A broken bowl lay on the floor with all of the pie dough in it. Pup was licking at the bowl.

"Pup!" Michaela exclaimed.

"I told you not to let your stupid dog inside!"

"He's not stupid!" Brian defended.

"Brian, take Wolf and Pup outside," Sully ordered.

"But . . ."

"We'll bring 'em in later." Brian groaned and whistled for the dogs to follow him outside. Michaela helped Colleen clean up the mess.

"Boys," Colleen muttered under her breath. Michaela looked up at Sully and winked at him.

"We'll replace the bowl," Sully promised.

"Colleen, why don't you finish cleaning this up, and I'll help by peeling the potatoes?"

"Okay ma," Colleen replied with a nod. Colleen had put Matthew to work by making him make the rolls. He wasn't the greatest cook, but he could at least make rolls. Sully watched as his family prepared Christmas lunch, and he figured he could do something to help out. He walked over and helped Michaela with the potatoes so she wouldn't have so much to do. She smiled gratefully at him and everyone worked until lunch was ready, enjoying spending time together as a family.

That evening, the Sully children were at Hank and Myra's homestead, seated around the dinner table. Everyone was quiet, and Myra was holding the twins in her lap. Hank looked a bit nervous, and he saw Brian staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"You don't know a lot about kids, do ya?" Myra had to stifle a giggle as she bounced Connor and Daniel on her lap.

"What makes ya think that?" Hank asked sarcastically.

"Brian," Matthew said quietly, "don't go makin' trouble."

"I ain't. It's just that you and Myra gotta have practice if you're gonna have kids someday."

"Brian!" Colleen exclaimed. "That ain't none of your business."

"It's getting late," Myra spoke up. "Brian and Matthew, you can take the room at the end of the hall upstairs. Colleen, I set you up a room with the twins if that's alright."

"That'll be fine, Myra. Thanks," Colleen replied with a smile.

"We'll bring the boys up after they've gone to sleep." The children headed upstairs and Myra looked at Hank. Hank was staring at Connor. Connor's face was a little red, and he seemed to be concentrating very hard. "Hank?"

"What's wrong with him?" Myra looked at Connor and laughed.

"Ready to change his diaper?"

"I ain't changed a diaper since Zack was a baby. I probably only changed a few, so I don't think I better be doin' this."

"Like I said before, you need the practice," Myra warned. Hank groaned but knew he couldn't get out of this. "Here, I'll change Connor first, and then you can take Daniel." They placed the babies upon the table and Myra handed Hank a fresh diaper cloth. Myra had Connor cleaned up before Hank could even remember how to fold a diaper. As soon as he was about to switch Daniel into the clean one, a fresh warm spray hit him square in the chest.

"Hey!" he called out. Myra tried not to laugh, but she couldn't help it. She covered the stream with the soiled diaper, and when all was well again, she pinned the fresh diaper on while Hank changed into a dry shirt.

Once the boys were clean and dry, Myra took them upstairs to put down to bed. She retired to the bedroom to find Hank sitting on the edge of the bed. He had a worried look on his face.

"Hank?"

"Huh?"

"What's botherin' ya?"

"Nothin'."

"Don't lie to me."

"I ain't lyin'." He paused. "Alright, I am."

"Tell me what's wrong." Hank took a deep breath and shook his head.

"I ain't sure we should be havin' kids."

"What?" Myra asked, worry beginning to shine in her eyes. "What are you talkin' about?"

"I'm sayin' that if I can't even change a diaper, what kinda pa am I gonna be? I wasn't a good pa to Zack."

"What was wrong with Zack wasn't your fault," Myra whispered. They had returned from Denver a few days ago after having gone to try to bring Zack home. Zack decided to stay on a little longer at the school, and he seemed to have drawn even more within himself. "Zack was always like that, or so you told me, Hank. You couldn't help the way he was, and our children ain't gonna be the same."

"How do you know?"

"Because we're strong when we're together, Hank. Even if something is wrong, we'll be able to take care of it. You're gonna be a great pa. You'll see."

Michaela's hair was a bit messy as she stood in the middle of the bedroom floor, wrapped in her robe. She and Sully had already started their private evening, but he had to pause to go get more firewood downstairs. She knew he'd be back quickly, however, because he hadn't bothered to put his pants on just to run downstairs to get some firewood. After making love, Michaela felt as if she was floating on a cloud, and she wanted to do something romantic for her husband. What was there to do?

She looked over at the music box he had given her for an anniversary present. She smiled, her eyes twinkling, and listened, waiting for Sully's footsteps. As soon as she heard him coming up the stairs, she held the music box behind her back and watched as he came in with a bundle of firewood in his arms. He smiled seductively at his wife, and crouched down to place the wood into the dying flames. Slowly, they began to build up again, and Michaela made her move. She sat the music box back down on the table and opened the lid, letting the sweet melody of the song they first danced to float throughout the room. Sully slowly stood, the muscles in his bare chest tensing at the thought of what was to come. He turned to face his wife, who slowly let her robe fall to the floor.

"Dance with me, Mr. Sully." Michaela's magnificent body shimmered in the firelight, her breasts moving with her shallow, passionate breaths. He pulled her into his arms, feeling her nipples grazing against his muscular chest. They began to dance to the music box melody, becoming consumed with one another and the feeling of their hearts beating against each other.

"You are so beautiful, Mrs. Sully." He leaned down and kissed his wife passionately. She arched her neck back and they slowly made their way toward the bed. Sully scooped her up into his arms and gently laid her in the center of the bed. "You're just as beautiful as the day I first saw you." He crawled over her, looking deep into her eyes, silently letting her know that he would always think she was beautiful.


	3. Cassius

**Chapter 3: Cassius**

Dorothy was taking over teaching the children until the town council could find a new teacher. Seeing as Horace and Jake were both on the town council, it wasn't going to be easy to call a meeting to find someone to fill the job Holly once occupied.

While Colleen, Brian, and Matthew had gone into school early the next morning, Hank and Myra brought the boys into town, because Michaela was sure to come into the clinic today.

Myra walked into the clinic with the boys while Hank went to open up the saloon. The clinic was cold and dark, so Myra put the boys down in their cradle in the next room. She started up the wood stove and opened up the curtains so some sunlight could come in.

She yawned, tired from being woken up in the night by the babies. They had been missing their parents, but they had gone back to sleep after Myra sang a lullaby. She wasn't the best singer in the world, and Hank agreed with that, but she did manage to lull them to sleep.

The door to the clinic opened, and Michaela walked in with a bright smile on her face. Myra grinned.

"Mornin', Dr. Mike."

"Good morning, Myra," Michaela replied.

"Did you and Sully have a good evenin'?"

"As a matter of face, we did," Michaela replied, her eyes sparkling at the mention of her amazing evening. Myra laughed.

"The boys are asleep in the next room. I best be getting over to see Grace."

"Alright. Thank you for watching the children last night. That was very thoughtful of you and Hank. How did Hank like having five children in the house?"

"He got used to it," Myra replied, rolling her eyes. Michaela laughed.

"Myra, would you like to have lunch with me today? Sully's going out to the reservation later on to pick up Snow Bird and Early Sun, and he's going to bring them here to the clinic. I'm not feeling up to going all the way out there today."

"Your stomach's upset?"

"A little," Michaela replied. "I suppose I've just been so busy lately that I haven't had a moment to relax. I'll probably feel better after some rest."

"I'm sure," Myra replied, eyeing her suspiciously. "You sure you're feelin' alright, Dr. Mike? You're lookin' awful pale."

"I'm fine," Michaela insisted. "Sully mentioned that to me this morning. I'm just tired, that's all." The door flew open and Mary rushed in with two large packages in her arms.

"Mornin' Mary," Myra greeted her.

"Mornin' Myra!" Mary replied with a smile. She looked at Dr. Mike. "Dr. Mike, papa told me to bring these over to ya. You musta ordered lots of medicine." Michaela smiled.

"Thank you Mary," she laughed, taking the packages from the little girl's arms.

"I'll see ya for lunch, Dr. Mike." Myra hurried out of the clinic to go check on Grace.

"How do ya know what medicines to give all the sick people?" Mary wondered. Michaela scooted back in her chair and patted her lap. Mary climbed up to sit in her mother's friend's lap. She trusted Michaela, and was happy that she still had her to talk to.

"I went to medical school."

"Like I get to go to school with the other kids?"

"Well, sort of," Michaela replied. "See, I was different like you."

"But you're not colored."

"No, but ladies weren't supposed to practice medicine, according to men. But I was determined, and I went to medical school to become what I wanted to be."

"You think I could be a doctor one day?"

"Well, if that's something you want to do, I'm sure it's possible," Michaela replied, pulling the little girl into a hug. She noticed the locket around Mary's neck. She had never really seen it opened before. "May I?" Mary nodded and Michaela opened the locket to see a picture of Holly and Marcus.

"That's my real papa. I never got to meet him. Mama said he's in Heaven. You think she's with him now?" Michaela swallowed hard.

"Yes sweetheart," she whispered as tears began to form in her eyes. She cleared her throat. "Mary?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you happy living with Horace?"

"Yeah. Papa is really nice. He takes good care of me."

"That's good," Michaela replied. "I know he loves you very much."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. I'm sure your mother is very happy that you are living with him."

"Sometimes I hear papa cryin' at night."

"He's just grieving. He misses Holly."

"So do I."

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. A lot of people loved your mother. Me included." Mary smiled and hugged Michaela again.

"I better get back to papa."

"Alright. Tell him thank you for sending over the packages." Mary nodded and hurried toward the door. She turned the knob, opened the door, and gasped when she ran into the tall stranger. He looked down at her as if she was a pile of horse biscuits which he needed to clean off of his shoe. Mary quickly scooted off toward the telegraph office, and Michaela stood.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, I was staying at the boarding house, and I heard there was a lady doctor. Now, my little girl is one for women's liberation, so I figured I'd come to talk to you first, find out if you've seen her."

"Well," Michaela replied a bit uneasily, "I'll be happy to help you if I can." Cassius removed his hat and closed the door to the clinic. He cleared his throat and walked over toward Michaela, making her feel very uneasy in his presence.

"I'm looking for my daughter. Her name is Holly Tucker, and I heard she'd been seen 'round these parts." Michaela swallowed hard, looking into the eyes of the man she'd heard about from Holly. Everything that Holly had told her about him seemed to ring true as she stared into his cold eyes.

"You're Holly's father?"

"I just told you that. Where is she?" Michaela looked away.

"You're the man who killed her husband and sold her daughter into slavery."

"I don't see how that's any of your business, Miss Quinn."

"That's Dr. Quinn," Michaela replied coldly. She stared into his eyes as he edged closer to her. "You don't scare me."

"That's a shame," Cassius replied. "You obviously know her if she's told you those lies."

"Lies, Mr. Tucker? I believe you're the one who is lying."

"You don't know the first thing about me."

"I know you're a cold, cruel man who would rather see his daughter suffer."

"I didn't want her bringing that kind of blood into my house!" Cassius shouted. Michaela jumped a little at the volume of this large man's voice.

"So you killed the man she loved to stop it?"

"I did what I had to do! Now tell me where my daughter is before this gets ugly!" A moment later, two strong hands landed on Cassius' shoulders, pulling him back. The man turned abruptly to come face to face with Sully. "Who the hell are you?"

"Name's Sully," he replied, "and if you ever threaten my wife again, you'll have to deal with me." Cassius stared down into Sully's eyes. "Who are you?"

"Name's Cassius Tucker," Cassius replied.

"He's Holly's father," Michaela replied, moving around to stand next to Sully. Sully began to recall everything he knew about Holly's father, and he felt the urge to hit him across the face, but that wasn't going to help matters any. Sully looked at Michaela and put his arm around her waist.

"I don't want to cause trouble right now," Cassius explained, putting his hands up, but I will if someone doesn't tell me where my little girl is right now."

"You want to see your daughter?" Michaela asked. "Then go down to the cemetery beside the church. You'll find her there."

"What?" Cassius asked.

"Your daughter is dead, Mr. Tucker. She died a couple weeks ago." Cassius looked at Sully who swallowed hard and nodded his head slowly.

"It's true. Go see for yourself," Sully offered. Cassius pushed past Michaela and Sully, stormed out of the clinic. Sully quickly turned to Michaela. "Did he hurt you?"

"No. I'm fine. I'm just worried about Mary."

"Are ya gonna tell him that his granddaughter is here?"

"After what Holly told me about him, I don't think he should know. But he is her grandfather . . ."

"Maybe you should talk to Horace first. Look, I was just getting ready to go out to the reservation, but I can do that later."

"No. Snow Bird and Early Sun are waiting for you. I'll be fine," Michaela replied. Sully noticed how pale Michaela looked.

"Are ya sure you're feelin' alright?"

"I'm fine," Michaela promised.

"Well, I'm gonna bring Cloud Dancin' in just in case. Maybe he'll have somethin' to give ya."

"Sully . . ."

"Hey, I'm worried about ya."

"I'm a doctor, Sully, if you've forgotten. I know how to take care of myself."

"But just because you're a doctor don't mean ya can't get sick."

"Alright," Michaela whispered. She gave Sully a kiss on the cheek, and he left the clinic. Michaela walked out to stand on the porch. She looked off toward the cemetery to see Cassius standing at Holly's grave. She shook her head, feeling sickened by the thought of what that man had done. He had broken Holly's heart, and now here he was at her grave.

"Michaela?" Dorothy asked as she walked over to see her friend. Michaela turned in Dorothy's direction and smiled.

"Hello Dorothy."

"What's on your mind?"

"Nothing," Michaela replied.

"Don't seem like nothin'. You don't look like you're feelin' too good." Michaela sighed heavily and shook her head.

"I don't know why everyone keeps saying that. The reason I don't look well is probably due to the fact that I've been so busy lately. I know everyone is thinking that I'm pregnant."

"I wasn't!" Dorothy exclaimed with wide eyes. "Oh Michaela!" Michaela sighed and shook her head. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"No!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"How sure?"

"Well, I got my monthly two weeks ago."

"That doesn't mean anything. Even I know that, Michaela. You're a doctor. When I was expectin' my first, I got my monthly for a few days."

"Dorothy, I'm not pregnant! And please don't say that so loud, because Sully might hear you."

"What's so bad about that?"

"Well," Michaela replied, taking Dorothy by the arm and leading her into the clinic, "we both agreed that we want more children. But the fact of the matter is that the twins are just a few months old. I think it's far too soon to be having another one."

"I became pregnant with my second just a couple of months after my first."

"Dorothy, you're not helping!"

"Well, won't ya be happy if you are pregnant?"

"Of course I will be! I just don't think it's a good idea to have another one so soon. If it happens I'll be thrilled to have a new baby, but I would be concerned about the children. Daniel and Connor need me, and . . . oh what am I saying? I can't think like this, Dorothy! I am not pregnant." Dorothy shook her head and shrugged.

"Alright, I'll believe ya," Dorothy replied. "You just get some rest." Dorothy left and Michaela sat down at her desk, opened up her book, and began to read up on a few things. After a few minutes, she looked up.

"I'm not pregnant." She shook her head and put her hand on her stomach. Before too long, she began to actually count back the days, trying to remember how long her monthly had lasted, and before too long, the seed had been planted in her mind. She wasn't so sure anymore.

Somewhere in the corner of her mind, the memory of needing to talk to Horace surfaced. She took a deep breath, grabbed her coat, gathered up the boys, and hurried next door to the telegraph office.

"Dr. Mike? What's wrong?" Horace asked as Michaela hurried in with the bundled up babies.

"Horace, I need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"There's a man who just came to town looking for his daughter. Well, his daughter was Holly."

"What?!"

"His name is Cassius Tucker. He's at her grave right now, and I wanted to let you know."

"He ain't gonna take Mary is he?" Horace looked out to see Mary playing in the snow.

"He doesn't know she's his granddaughter."

"You ain't gonna tell him are ya?" Horace asked worriedly.

"I don't know, Horace. I don't think he needs to know, but he is her grandfather."

"Her grandfather who sold her when she was born!" Horace exclaimed.

"I'm not defending the man," Michaela replied. "I don't think he should know, because Mary is safe with you."

"Then keep it quiet, please?"

"Mary's in your care now," Michaela replied. "So if anyone should tell him . . . it's you." Horace nodded and Michaela went back to the clinic with the boys.

Mary was soon bored with playing in the snow. She wanted to go visit with her mother at the graveyard. Michaela had told her that if she talked to her mother, maybe her mother would hear it, even if she didn't answer back.

She ran toward the graveyard, and felt her locket come loose from her neck. She caught it before it could fall to the ground, and she clasped it firmly in her hand, never wanting to let it go.

Once she reached the graveyard, she stopped in her tracks when she saw the strange man standing at her mother's grave. She gasped and the man turned to look down at the child as if she was in insignificant little bug. He had startled her so that she dropped the necklace her mother had given her on the night of her birth. Cassius' eyes narrowed, and he looked to see what Mary had dropped.

"What are you doin' here?" Mary asked him suspiciously. She bent to get her locket, but Cassius scooped it up into his hand first. "Hey! That's mine! Give it back! My ma gave me that!"

"Well, I'm sure she won't mind me looking at it."

"You don't even know her!" Mary tried to get the locket out of the man's hand, but she was too short once he raised his hands up. He studied the locket, and something familiar about that locket struck him. It was the same feeling he'd gotten when he saw Mary for the first time earlier that day. He slowly opened up the locket, and Mary began to cry.

"No! Don't! That's not yours! It's mine! Stop!" Matthew was standing at the livery with Robert E. when he heard the little girl's cries. He looked toward the cemetery too see Mary standing with a strange man. He rushed off to help her.

"Stop crying, child!" Cassius demanded. When he looked down into the pictures inside of Mary's locket, he swallowed hard. He stared right into the faces of Holly and Marcus. "How do you know these people?" The little girl began to cry, and threw herself onto the ground above her mother's grave. She sobbed uncontrollably, and Cassius growled angrily, pulling Mary roughly by the arm. She fought to catch her breath, and she looked up into his cold eyes. "How do you know them?"

"They're my ma and pa," she sobbed, sniffling and wiping her nose as the sobs continued. "I didn't know my pa. He died 'fore I was born."

"This is your mother?" Cassius asked, his jaw dropping slightly. Mary nodded.

"Can I have my locket back?" Cassius tossed the charm to his granddaughter, the child he'd sold at birth so Marcus' blood would never touch their family again. But here she was, ten years later, beautiful just like her mother. But she also looked like her father, and Cassius couldn't have that. Mary stood frozen in fear as soon as she saw the glint of Cassius Tucker's silver-plated pistol. His hand reached for it, and he whistled for his horse. The stallion came galloping toward the graveyard, and stopped at Cassius' command. "Who are you?"

"I'm Cassius Tucker," he replied. Mary's eyes widened with fear. She knew this name as the name of the man who'd taken her away from her mother. Cassius mounted his horse, and pointed the pistol at Mary. "Can't go havin' my blood mixed with that of a worthless nigger." Mary shut her eyes and held her locket close to her heart as Cassius pointed the gun at her. Just as his finger was moving to pull the trigger, a heavy force knocked him off of the stallion and onto the frozen ground with a painful thud. Mary screamed when she saw Matthew Sully wrestling the gun away from her grandfather.

"Mary! Run back to town for help!" Mary didn't hesitate, and she ran away from the graveyard with the speed of a baby deer. A gunshot rang out, and Cassius Tucker went limp underneath Matthew. Matthew stood, looking down at the man. Cassius was still alive, but the bullet in his abdomen wouldn't keep him that way for long.

The thought of just killing a man sickened Matthew, and he hoped to God that he'd pull through. He didn't want that guilt on his conscience, but he had to do something to stop him from hurting little Mary Tucker.

Two hours later, a vigil was being held outside of the clinic while Michaela attempted to extract the bullet and Colleen assisted. Everyone wanted to know whether or not Cassius Tucker was going to pull through. Many folks didn't know who he was, but those who were close to Holly knew he was her father. Very few knew the relationship between him and Holly, but Michaela knew every thing Cassius had done to make his daughter's life miserable all of those years ago.

Mary was sitting on Horace's lap with her locket firmly secured around her neck. She was clutching the doll that Colleen had given her, but it didn't seem to be much of a comfort. She was no longer struggling for breath, but the tears were still flowing. Horace tried to comfort her, but for now, she couldn't speak out of sheer terror.

Hank had offered to buy Matthew a drink for doing a good thing, but Matthew was too sick to drink anything, and he knew Michaela would have his hide. Besides, Matthew didn't think alcohol did any good at all.

He sighed heavily as he sat on the porch of the clinic, drawing circles in the snow with a stray twig. He wanted to do something to help out his fellow townsfolk, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't be sheriff. He'd thrown up right after shooting Cassius Tucker. The thought of killing another person shocked him and made him sick. The surgery wasn't over yet, and Cassius still had a chance to die.

At this point, the wheels inside Matthew's head began to turn. He wanted to do something to help mankind, but he didn't want to be a sheriff. He didn't want to be a doctor either, because he knew that Michaela was at her patients' beck and call every time there was trouble. He had to make a decision. He'd been playing with the idea of going to college in the fall after he turned seventeen, but now he was seriously considering it. Maybe Ingrid could wait for him. If he could go to school to become something that would help out his fellow man, he'd surely do it to make himself happy. He knew Michaela would be thrilled anyway if he decided to go.

"Matthew?" Brian asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"You did the right thing," he whispered.

"I shot a man, Brian. How is that the right thing?"

"If you hadn't shot him, Mary would be dead," Horace spoke up.

"Don't thank me for shooting him. I was glad to help out Mary, but I didn't have to shoot him. It was an accident."

"Either way, you saved that little girl's life, and that surly counts for somethin'," Robert E. spoke up. "I ain't sayin' shootin' a man's right, and I know how ya feel about it, but you did save one life. She couldn't protect herself, so you stepped in to do it for her." Matthew stood up, not wanting to hear anymore. Yes, he'd saved that little girl's life, but when it came right down to it, he shot a man, and that man was on the edge of death.

Matthew stood and walked away, needing to be alone to think. While his brain was trying to tell him that he did the right thing, he heart was telling him that there could have been another way. They had struggled with the gun, and if that gun had been a centimeter off, he would have been shot and possibly killed instead.

A few minutes after Matthew left, Michaela stepped out of the clinic, her white apron snow stained with Cassius' blood. Horace stood and picked Mary up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stared at Michaela.

"Did he make it?" Horace asked.

"Yes, but barely. He has lost a lot of blood, and he's very week. I'll have to monitor him very closely for signs of infection."

"What happens if he wakes up?" Loren asked.

"Is he gonna take Mary away?" Brian wondered.

"He ain't takin' her nowhere, Brian. I won't let him," Horace replied. He walked off with Mary in his arms. Michaela sighed heavily and looked for Matthew.

"Brian, where's your brother?"

"He walked off toward the church," Brian replied, pointing his finger in the church's general direction.

"Thank you Brian," Michaela replied. The group outside began to scatter, and Michaela walked inside. Colleen was just finishing cleaning up after the surgery. Cassius hadn't been moved to a bed upstairs yet, and Michaela knew that she'd have to get Hank and Jake to help her move him. He was a very large man in height, and she was sure he weighed well over two hundred pounds.

"Ma? What are ya gonna do 'bout Mr. Tucker?"

"Horace wired a marshal shortly after Mr. Tucker was shot."

"Are they gonna take him to prison like they did pa?"

"I don't know, Brian. Technically, Mr. Tucker hasn't done anything."

"But he tried to kill Mary."

"I know, but I'm not sure that a judge would see it that way. He never pulled the trigger."

"He should still pay."

"I agree." She shook her head and pulled her apron off, putting it in the basket with the other bloody cloths.

"I'll get these over to Ingrid."

"Actually, will you wait for a few minutes? I need someone to be here incase Mr. Tucker wakes. I'm going to go check on Matthew."

"Okay. What should I do if he wakes up?"

"He should be out, but just in case, you know the proper dosage of morphine." Colleen nodded and Michaela washed her hands off thoroughly. She turned to Brian. "Sweetheart, will you watch your brothers in the other room?"

"Sure, ma."

"Thank you." Michaela pulled on her coat and started out of the clinic and toward the church. When she walked in, she found her son seated on the front pew. His head was bowed, and she could hear him whispering a quiet prayer. When all was quiet, she slowly made her way up the aisle to sit beside him. After several long moments of silence, Matthew spoke up.

"Sorry if I disappointed you, ma." Michaela looked at her oldest son.

"Matthew, you didn't disappoint me."

"You musta come here for a reason. He's dead isn't he?"

"Not yet."

"He's gonna die?"

"There's a chance," Michaela replied, not wanting to sugarcoat Cassius' condition for her upset son. Matthew took a shaky breath as his tears began to fill his eyes. "Matthew, you know how I feel about guns, but what you did today took courage. You threw yourself at a man who was about to kill a defenseless child. You protected her, Matthew. I'm not disappointed in you."

"Then why do I feel so guilty about doing a good thing?"

"Shooting someone is never a good thing, but you did what you had to do to keep Mary safe. Everyone is grateful to you. I'm grateful you weren't injured."

"Maybe it shoulda been me."

"Don't ever say that!" Michaela exclaimed. "Don't be so hard on yourself. For the rest of her life, Mary's going to think of you as a hero." She put her arm around her son.

"Do ya know what Brian said to me? He told me I did the right thing."

"Well, you did save a little girl's life."

"I don't want Brian growin' up thinkin' of me as a hero for shootin' a man."

"He doesn't think of you as a hero for what you did to Cassius. He thinks of you as a hero for what you did for Mary." Michaela hugged her son and left him alone to think.

"Snow Bird, you and Early Sun seem to be healthy, but I'm concerned about the both of you," Michaela said as she bounced the six-month-old Cheyenne baby on her hip.

"That is the news I expected to hear. Cloud Dancing knew you would speak of this."

"Where is Cloud Dancing?"

"He is walking with Sully. Do all men avoid these visits?"

"Oh, you mean when their wives and babies have check-ups? Some men do." Snow Bird laughed and shook her head. "Has Early Sun been eating well?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid I can't care for her in the way she needs me to. Food is short, so I cannot nourish her." Michaela frowned. "Cloud Dancing told me he will ask Sully to let you look after her." Michaela nodded, knowing that Early Sun wasn't as big as she should be due to lack of nutrition. Snow Bird was older and stronger, and she could survive with little food. But Early Sun needed her to eat or else she couldn't eat.

"Me?" Michaela asked.

"You have two young sons, and your home is safe for my daughter. Two infants died at our reservation because their mothers could not feed them this winter. In the Spring, we will have more food. We will be able to provide for our little one." Michaela felt her heart sinking.

"You want me to take care of Early Sun the way I . . ."

"I understand if you do not want to do this." Michaela swallowed hard. Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird were amazing parents. She had observed them teaching their daughter things from the day she was born. They would do anything for her, including letting a white woman nurse her through the winter. Michaela wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do for Early Sun, because she had spent the last six months bonding with her own mother. There had to be another way.

"You could come live with us at the homestead. We could take care of you so you could take care of her."

"My tribe needs me. I must help them. I do not want to abandon my daughter, but she needs more care than Cloud Dancing or I can give her right now." Michaela nodded slowly and swallowed hard.

"I'll do it." She couldn't refuse. A little girl needed her help, and she couldn't refuse when she was their only option.


	4. Adding to the Family?

**Chapter 4: Adding to the Family?**

That evening, Michaela was sitting in the side room of the clinic. She was rocking the twins' cradle with her foot while she held Early Sun in her arms. The baby was nursing at Michaela's breast, and Michaela was overcome with such a nurturing feeling, the same feeling she felt when she nursed her boys. It had been hard for Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird to leave her behind for the winter, but they had done the right thing. They had to be able to keep her safe, and help their tribe at the same time.

The children had been informed that Early Sun was coming to stay at the house, and they'd gone to fix up the twin's nursery. Sully was going to fix up a new cradle for Early Sun, because she was going to be staying with them for a few months.

With everything that had happened today, Michaela hadn't had time to think about the fact that she might be pregnant again. She knew it was possible that she was, but she never really considered the option that it would happen again so soon. Yes, she did want to have more children with Sully, but the twins were just three months old, and she wanted them to be able to have time with her before a new sibling came into the picture. But now that they had taken in Early Sun, things were about to change. The house was going to be a lot more hectic. She'd have the twins to think of, and the six-month-old Cheyenne baby. Matthew and Colleen were getting old enough to take care of themselves, but Brian was another story. He was just nine, and he didn't get near enough of the right amount of attention he should be getting. Michaela wished she could spend an equal amount of time with all of her children, but with being a doctor, things were much more difficult.

Michaela was interrupted from her thoughts when a knock came to the door.

"Ma?" It was Matthew. Michaela quickly covered Early Sun with a blanket so her son wouldn't have to feel uncomfortable.

"Come in," she called out. Matthew stepped in and cleared his throat. "I thought you were with Colleen and Brian."

"I was, but I had to come talk to you."

"About what?"

"I've made a decision about what to do when I'm done with school." Michaela sighed, preparing herself for another talk about him marrying Ingrid.

"Matthew . . ."

"I want to be a lawyer." Michaela's eyes widened and she stared at her son in disbelief for a moment. "Ma? Didn't ya hear me?"

"Yes. Of course I heard you. A lawyer?"

"I want to go to law school."

"That takes years, Matthew."

"I know," he replied. "But I'm willin' to work my way through school." Michaela smiled, happy that her son actually had this plan.

"You really want to do this? What made you think of it?"

"I wanna help people who can't help themselves."

"You do realize that you'll have to go to school for four years, go to law school afterward, and after that, you'll have to take an exam."

"I don't care. I'm sure about this, ma." She looked into his eyes, and she could see that he was adamant about this. The next question on her mind worried her quite a bit. She hadn't had to worry about money when she went to college.

"If this is what you want, I want you to go for it. But Matthew, this is going to cost a lot of money."

"I wired Denver before I came here, and I asked about any jobs I might qualify for to help me pay my way. I also wired grandpa and told him. I didn't ask him for money though."

"I'm sure he will send some though," Michaela replied. "He wants you children to be very happy."

"Yeah. Plus, ma had some money put back for me, Colleen, and Brian."

"That's true. You've really put some thought into this haven't you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, later, we'll sit down with Sully . . ."

"I just talked to him. I wanted to tell him first, because I wanted to see his reaction first. I needed to practice on him." Michaela smiled.

"Matthew, you don't know how proud I am of you." Matthew smiled humbly. Early Sun began to squirm and Michaela smiled. "Oh, I better get this little one ready. Could you take your brothers outside to wait with Sully in the wagon?"

"Sure," Matthew replied. He scooped up the twins into his arms and left while Michaela buttoned the front of her dress and wrapped Early Sun into a blanket. She felt dizzy as she stood, and she decided to get a professional opinion on her condition.

Michaela checked on Cassius, who was being watched by Hank and Jake until a marshal could arrive. They told her that there had been no change in his condition and that she should just go home. They'd come to get her if there was any change. They had seen the Indian child, and asked her about it. Michaela told them that she was caring for it because the child's mother wasn't strong enough to do so at the moment. They told her she'd better be careful, because most folks wouldn't take too kindly to having an Indian child around. She was just glad that they weren't very judgmental. After all, they'd both come to accept Mary into the community. If they could accept her, they could surely accept an innocent little baby.

Once Michaela left the clinic, she took Early Sun to the wagon and handed her to Sully.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes, just give me a moment. I'm going to go send a telegram." She hurried off before Sully could ask questions. She walked into the office and smiled at Horace.

"Hi Dr. Mike."

"Horace," she said with a cheerful nod. "I need to send a telegram."

That evening, Michaela sat in front of her vanity mirror, brushing her hair slowly. A small smile had spread over her face. The thought of having another child didn't seem bad at all. The only concern she had was the amount of time she would have. She had planned to wait until the boys were a year or so older before having another baby, but that wasn't really something that one could time accurately.

The door opened and Sully walked in with a smile on his face.

"The children are sleeping?"

"Matthew just turned down his lamp, Colleen's reading, Brian's been sleepin' for ten minutes, the boys have been out since we put them down earlier, and Early Sun went to sleep as soon as I told her an old Indian story." Michaela smiled, her eyes sparkling happily. "What's goin' on?"

"Oh nothing," she replied softly. "I'm just looking forward to the future."

"Is this about Matthew?"

"Oh, not exactly, but I'm thrilled he wants to go to law school after he goes to college. I just hope we'll be able to afford it."

"We ain't limitin' our kids just cause we can't afford somethin'. We'll find a way," Sully replied, pulling Michaela's hair back and kissing her neck, his eyes locking with hers through the mirror. Michaela closed her eyes, soaking in the wonderful feeling of her husband's rough stubble against her smooth skin; his lips against her neck. He pulled back and kissed the sensitive spot under her ear. "Who'd ya send the telegram to earlier?"

"Hmm?" she asked softly, having nearly completely lost her train of thought.

"Before we came home," Sully replied, pulling away to crouch on the floor. He picked up Michaela's foot and held it in his lap, slowly unlacing her shoe. He looked into her eyes curiously as he worked.

"Oh, I was just, um, sending a message to a doctor in Denver."   
"Oh?" he asked. "Which doctor?"   
"Why are you so curious about it?"

"Well, I dunno, ya just seemed to be in a hurry to get a hold of him."

"Well, it's Dr. Bernard."   
"The doctor who works with ladies?"

"Yes," Michaela replied with a nod.

"He's the one . . ." Sully recalled back to when Michaela was expecting the twins.

"Yes," she repeated with a nod.

"Are you sayin' you're . . ."

"I'm not sure."

"But you might be?"

"Possibly."

"A baby?!"

"Shh!" she warned not wanting the children to overhear their conversation. "Maybe!" She sighed heavily and stood up, walking over to the bed. Sully followed her, watching her every move. "I want to have more children, Sully, it's just that it's so soon!"

"Yeah, but that don't mean it can't happen, does it?"

"No," she answered honestly. "But Sully, I never expected to become this pregnant housewife."

"That ain't what you are."

"Well, when I was pregnant with the boys, I was home more than anything. I do not want to be barefoot and pregnant twice a year!" Tears were starting to come.

"I ain't expectin' that, Michaela," Sully replied. "I ain't sayin' that you're supposed to have babies all the time. I'm just thinkin' that it'd be nice to add onto our family."

"But so soon?!"

"Well, I figured it'd take a little more time, but if it happens, it happens. It ain't gonna mean we'll love the baby any less, right."

"Of course not. If I am pregnant, I will love this child just as much as I love our other children. I'm just worried. We've got three infants at the house already. I'm not so sure we can handle one more by the end of next year." Sully chuckled and kissed his wife's lips.

"Don't go frettin'. Havin' babies is a part of life, and if it happens, I'll be happy. If it ain't true, we'll have more time to start plannin' for one." Michaela sighed and wrapped her arms around Sully's neck.

"You seem to make everything seem so simple."

"I just don't like lookin' at things the hard way."

"That's something we don't have in common." Sully laughed.

"But you lookin' at things the hard way makes ya strong and bull-headed."

"Bull-headed?!" Michaela raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but don't worry. I love that about ya." Michaela shook her head and laughed. She turned to kiss Sully again, but as their kiss began to deepen, Early Sun began to wail in the next room. Michaela broke away from Sully. "I'm sorry." She rushed off to tend to the crying child while Sully added a few logs to the fire. He walked over to turn down their bed, smoothing back the covers and fluffing Michaela's pillows. He walked over to the chest at the end of their bed. When he opened it, he found a few of Michaela's old sewing projects. One of those was a beautiful little dress for a baby girl. She had started making that before the boys were born, and he knew that Michaela wanted a little girl to dress up in little fancy dresses. Colleen was already a young woman, and Sully knew Michaela wanted the early years with a daughter. Those were the years when a special bond was formed, a bond that could never be broken.

He had watched her earlier that day with Early Sun. She had doted on her as if she was her own daughter. The child had grown to trust Michaela's trust, and had nursed comfortably once she felt at ease in her foster mother's arms. He knew Michaela would be amazing with a daughter of their own one day, and if she wasn't expecting again, he would still treasure the moments he could watch Michaela with their beautiful boys.

Michaela returned a few minutes later. She smiled and shut the door behind her.

"Everything alright?"

"Yes," she answered, walking over to wrap herself in Sully's arms. "She just needed to know someone was there for her."

"She's used to sleepin' between Cloud Dancin' and Snow Bird every night."

"Should we bring her in here?"

"Nah, she should be fine."

"Sully, I'm worried that she's not going to remember Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird once the winter is over."

"She will. She's formed a strong bond with 'em. They'll come to her in her dreams. She'll never forget them."

"You believe that?"

"'Course I do." Michaela yawned. "Tired?"

"Mmm, a little," she admitted. "I need to get into town early, though. The marshal promised to be here tomorrow. Unfortunately a judge won't be here until next week."

"Well, maybe Cassius won't wake up by then."

"Sully, what if he causes trouble for Horace? He and Mary have been through so much, and I'd hate for anyone to disturb them now."

"Unfortunately the law is the law no matter how much we hate it. If the judge decides to do something about Mary's placement, Horace ain't gonna be able to stop it." Michaela nodded and shook her head.

"It's a shame. Cassius Tucker shouldn't be able to have any right to Mary. He sold her at birth, for goodness sakes!" Sully sighed and kissed Michaela's cheek.

"There ain't any use worryin' 'bout it right now." Michaela finally nodded in agreement. Just as she and Sully were beginning to get cozy again, Connor began to cry in the other room. Michaela and Sully leaned their foreheads together and chuckled softly. "I'll get him." She kissed Sully once more before she started down the hall to the babies' room.

After very little sleep the night before, Sully let Michaela sleep in. He woke at sunrise to get the twins and Early Sun ready for the day. Early Sun was beginning to live up to her name. Not only had she been born early, but she woke early too. She was already awake when Sully came in to check on them that morning.

Now that the children were ready, Sully was downstairs helping the children set the breakfast table. Colleen was scooping gravy over hot biscuits and handing them to Sully. Matthew was pouring milk into glasses while Brian ran around outside, chasing after Wolf and Pup.

"When will ma be up?" Colleen asked.

"I'll wake her up as soon as Brian gets in."

"I'll go call him in," Matthew offered. He walked outside, and Colleen glanced at Sully.

"Pa?"

"Yeah?"

"Matthew's gonna be alright, ain't he?"

"'Course he is. What happened yesterday ain't somethin' a man can get over in just a day. It's gonna take time, but he'll be alright."

"I hope so." Sully smiled and Brian rushed into the house ahead of Matthew.

"I'll be right back." Sully started up the stairs and entered his and Michaela's bedroom. She was sleeping peacefully on her side, facing Sully's side of the bed. Sully smiled down at his sleeping wife. He loved to watch her sleep, because the serene look upon her face would always brighten his dreams.

He leaned down to brush his lips against her cheek. His hand moved down to graze against her arm.

"Mmm," she whispered, her eyes slowly fluttering open. Sully smiled and nuzzled her cheek with his nose. Michaela smiled and slowly rolled onto her back to stare up into his eyes.

"Mornin'."

"Good morning," she replied. She noticed how bright the room was. "You let me sleep in?"

"Yep. I figured you'd like a little extra sleep."

"Thank you." Michaela sat up and she felt better than she had in days. She stretched and got out of bed. Brian's yells were heard from downstairs, followed by shouts from Colleen.

"I'll go see what that's about."

"I'll be down for breakfast in a bit," Michaela replied. She quickly got dressed and pulled her hair into a braid, letting the braid hang loosely over her left shoulder. Once she had pulled her shoes on, she started down the hall to the babies' room. Connor had rolled onto his belly next to Daniel who was sucking on his brother's hand. Early Sun had one of her legs up so far that she was sucking on her foot. Michaela laughed aloud and picked up the Cheyenne baby into her arms. "What have you got there, little one?" Early Sun simply giggled as Michaela gently tickled her belly. Her little legs kicked about happily. "Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird are going to be so surprised when they see you next Spring. You're going to grow so much they'll hardly recognize you." She nuzzled the baby's soft hair, and held her at her hip. "Let's go have breakfast." Michaela leaned down next to the twins' cradle. "I'll be right back for the both of you." Connor grunted and Michaela took Early Sun downstairs.

Sully had obviously settled whatever dispute had erupted between Colleen and Brian. Everyone was seated at the table, and Michaela passed Early Sun into Sully's arms.

"I'll be right back. I have to get the boys." Sully nodded. Early sun reached into Sully's plate, grabbed a handful of warm gravy, and stuck her entire fist in her mouth. The children all laughed and Michaela stared at the baby with astonishment. Sully looked at Michaela.

"Is she old enough to eat stuff like that?"

"Well, she does have a few teeth, so I'm sure a few solids wouldn't hurt." She kissed the baby's cheek. "But your manners are less than impeccable, young lady." Early sun grinned a nearly toothless smile and looked up at Sully. He shook his head and bounced her on his knee.

"I'll share," he laughed. Michaela started up the stairs to get the twins, and Early Sun helped Sully wish his breakfast. While Sully had had several years of experience in eating regular food, Early Sun was just starting out, and most of the gravy she was beginning to grow attached to had dripped down her front and was all over her face.

"Look at her," Colleen laughed. "She likes it! So this is what it's like to have a little sister? When are you and ma gonna have another baby?"

"Yeah," Brian replied. "I'm getting used to bein' a big brother." Sully looked at all of the children's curious faces.

"Um," he started, "we ain't made any plans yet." Michaela appeared in the room with Connor in one arm and Daniel in the other. She passed Daniel to Matthew, and held Connor so she could eat her own breakfast.

"Ma? When are you and pa havin' another baby?" Brian wondered. Michaela looked at Sully, wondering if he'd told them of Dr. Bernard's upcoming visit to Colorado Springs.

"What makes you wonder that?"

"Well, havin' Early Sun around makes it seem like we got a little sister," Colleen explained. "We think it'd be nice to have our own little sister."

"Well, for now, why don't you think of Early Sun as your little sister? Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird are family," Sully replied.

"Right," Michaela agreed.

"But you're gonna have another baby, ain't ya?" Brian asked.

"Brian, I think it's a little too soon to be discussing this."

"But why, ma?" Colleen wondered. Michaela looked at Sully who only shrugged.

"Well," Michaela started, "it's just that we're getting used to Connor and Daniel. Now that Early Sun is here with us for a little while, we're going to have our hands full." Colleen and Brian looked a bit disappointed. "But if it were to happen, we'd be just as happy." That seemed to help their moods.

Just as breakfast was finishing up, the clamor of a wagon startled the family.

"Dr. Mike!"

"That's Robert E.," Matthew pointed out. Michaela handed Daniel to Matthew and hurried to the door. She opened it and Robert E. was just sitting on his wagon, worry causing him to tremble.

"Robert E.?"

"It's Grace! She's in a lot of pain!" Robert E. exclaimed.

"It's too soon, ma. Miss Grace ain't due to have her baby 'til April."

"I know," Michaela replied. She grabbed her medical bag. "Colleen, I need your help. Matthew, make sure you get yourself and your brother to school. Ride into town with your father and help him get the babies settled in at the mercantile with Dorothy and Loren before you go."

"Sure thing," Matthew replied.

"We'll see ya later," Sully called out. Michaela and Colleen pulled themselves into Robert E.'s wagon and they started off toward town.


	5. Praying for Grace

**Chapter 5: Praying for Grace**

"Ah, you want us to keep a Cheyenne baby in here?" Loren asked uncertainly as Sully stood inside the mercantile after the boys had headed off to school.

"Loren, Michaela is busy with Grace, and I can't watch 'em. I've got things to do, and you've never hesitated to watch the boys before."

"Dorothy and I don't mind watchin' the boys. But havin' an Indian baby 'round here ain't good for business."

"Loren," Dorothy spoke up, "I'll watch her." Loren swallowed hard. "I'm sure nobody's gonna object to an innocent baby. 'Sides, I'm gonna make sure school's cancelled for the day, so I'll be 'round to make sure she's safe."

"Dorothy, Loren's right. You'd be surprised how ignorant people are." His eyes stared into Loren's.

"Fine, leave her here," Loren finally gave in. He really didn't have it in him to turn down such a sweet little child. Sully handed Early Sun over to Dorothy and started to walk away, but Early Sun would have no part of it. She began to cry, and held her arms out for her white father. It was obvious that she was going to be just as attached to him as she was to her real Cheyenne father.

"I'll be back," Sully whispered to her in Cheyenne. He wasn't sure if she could understand any words yet, being so young, but he knew that he needed her to be able to understand her native language, and the white man's language. Sully turned to leave again, but Early Sun began to cry out.

"Sully, I think she's afraid to be left here with us."

"What's goin' on?" Hank asked as he walked into the mercantile. "What's wrong with that kid?"

"She don't want Sully to leave."

"Who is she?"

"She's Cloud Dancin' and Snow Bird's daughter," Sully replied. "We're takin' care of her so she'll be safe this winter." Sully took the baby into his arms, and she seemed to calm down a little bit. She reached out to Hank, and everyone stared at him curiously.

"What?" Hank asked.

"I think she wants ya to hold her, Hank," Loren said slowly.

"I ain't holdin' no Inj . . ." he started, but when he looked into that baby's eyes, he suddenly saw a vision of his own child looking into his eyes. "Give her here." Sully apprehensively handed the child to Hank, and she stopped fussing. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and everyone stared at him.

"Looks like you've got the magic touch, Hank," Dorothy said with a grin.

"Funny," he said, pretending to be annoyed. But feeling this baby in his arms gave him a sense that he was protecting a life that needed protected.

"Maybe I'll stay 'round town," Sully replied.

"You go do what ya gotta do, Sully," Hank replied. "I was just getting ready to go sit with Myra. She's waiting on news 'bout Grace anyway. We'll watch her."

"You sure? I don't want ya doin' somethin' ya don't wanna do, Hank."

"Just go on," Hank replied, rolling his eyes. Sully stared nervously at Hank, but decided he could trust the man. Hank would never harm a child. Early Sun dozed off in Hank's arms, and Sully gave Hank another glance, realizing that Early Sun was safe in his care.

"If she gets hungry . . ."

"Loren's got some small jars in the back. We can make bottles out of 'em," Dorothy promised. Sully nodded in appreciation and hurried off to check his snares, hoping he'd have enough to sell for a good price. He had an extra child to keep safe and warm now, and it was going to take a little more money.

As he walked toward the woods, he heard Grace's screams, and hoped that she was going to be fine. It was way too early for her to give birth, and he knew that there would be nothing Michaela could do if it was born. He'd seen it at the reservation before. Children born that never made it as far as he knew. All he could do for Grace and Robert E. was pray.

Michaela walked out onto the porch while Colleen and Myra stayed inside with Grace. Robert E., Horace, Reverend Johnson, and even Hank were seated quietly. Since school was cancelled, Brian and Matthew were sitting on the edge of the porch while Pup lazily rested on a patch of ground that wasn't completely covered by snow.

"How is she?" Robert E. asked as he stood anxiously.

"We're trying to stop the contractions, and her water hasn't broken yet. That's a good sign."

"Explain what that means."

"There's a sack that protects the baby, and it's full of something called amniotic fluid. It's much like water, and once the membranes of that sack rupture, there will be nothing I can do."

"It's too early. What'll happen to the baby?" Robert E. asked quietly.

"The baby won't be able to survive," Michaela whispered. She looked away, hating having to tell an expectant father that his child might die. Tears filled Robert E.'s eyes.

"And Grace?"

"Right now, Grace is healthy, but there is a risk to her as well. Right now, you should pray for the best, and I'm going to do what I can do to save both your wife and child."

"I know you'll do what ya can," Robert E. said with a slow nod. "Can I sit with her?"

"For a few minutes," Michaela replied. "I think it would be a good idea." Robert E. went into the clinic and Michaela looked at Hank.

"Don't worry. I ain't gonna hurt her."

"I wasn't thinking you would. Believe it or not Hank, I don't think you're a horrible person." Hank looked at the sleeping little girl in his arms.

"How's Myra doin'?"

"She's worried about Grace, but she seems to be calming her down a bit."

"Good. Hey, maybe I outta take her into the clinic. It's pretty cold out here."

"There's a cradle just through that door," Michaela said, pointing to the door on the side of the clinic. Hank nodded and stepped inside. He shut the door behind him to keep out the draft. He slowly lowered Early Sun into the cradle and covered her with a warm blanket. Early Sun opened her little eyes and stared at him curiously.

"Shh," he whispered. "You just close your eyes. Dr. Mike's in the other room." He stood to go outside but Early Sun began to fuss. He turned back to the cradle. "C'mon, kid. Ya don't want me around. I ain't no good." Early Sun protested louder, and Hank pulled her into his arms to avoid having an inconsolable child under his care. "C'mon, kid." He sat down by the cradle and began to rock her back and forth, smoothing back her soft black hair. She slowly began to calm down, but didn't dare fall asleep. She stared up at Hank who couldn't believe he was having this effect on her.

Myra had come into the room to boil some more hot water, but when she had opened the door, she'd seen Hank sitting on the floor with the Indian child in his arms. She smiled as she watched him with her, smiling and whispering softly. Her heart nearly melted as she thought about him being a father to their own child. He would be a great pa.

"Hank?" she asked softly. Hank looked up, his cheeks blushing a little at his wife's presence.

"I was just . . ."

"Ya don't have to explain, Hank. It's alright to be soft."

"Soft?" Myra grinned.

"Oh come on," she replied. She leaned down and kissed him softly. "Don't mind me. I'm just fetchin' some water for Dr. Mike."

"How's Grace?"

"She's restin' now. She's in an awful lot of pain, though. Robert E. was sittin' with her for a minute, but he went back outside." Hank nodded. He put Early Sun back in the cradle. He kept his hand on her little hand, and soon she was sleeping. Hank stood and moved out of the way so Myra could get heat up some water. "Dr. Mike needs these to put on Grace's forehead. Grace is feelin' cold."

"Ya think she'll be alright?"

"I hope so," Myra replied. "She don't deserve this. Nobody does." The clamoring of horses outside startled them. Hank looked down at Early Sun who remained sleeping. He took Myra's hand and they started outside to see what was going on.

"Miss Olive!" Brian exclaimed as middle-aged woman with red hair dismounted her tired old horse. Dirt stained Olive's face, but her eyes seemed to shine through it all. A few cowhands rode off in the other direction to give their boss some time to catch up with friends and family.

"Brian! Boy, you've grown!" she exclaimed, picking the nine-year-old up into her arms. They embraced one another happily, and Matthew hurried over to hug her as well. "Matthew! You've grown into a handsome young man!" Matthew smiled.

"Thanks Miss Olive. Oh, don't go worryin' bout your ranch. I've been helpin' keep it in good condition. Only lost a couple cattle since you've been gone."

"Good work, son. I heard 'bout your ma, and I'm sorry I was gone for so long."

"That's alright," Brian replied. "We've got a new ma and pa now. We've even got two little brothers."

"That so?" Olive asked curiously. "I just figured you'd be stayin' with your pa."

"Pa got sent to prison," Matthew replied.

"He ain't a good man," Brian added. "Our new ma loves us just as much as our old ma did."

"That's right," Matthew replied.

"Well, I'll have to meet this new ma and pa of yours."  
"You know our pa," Matthew replied.

"Do I?"

"Yep, it's Sully," Brian replied.

"Sully?!"

"Yup. He met our new ma in Boston and she came here 'cause we didn't have a doctor."

"Doctor?" Olive asked, taking in all of this new information at once.

"Yup," Brian replied happily. "She started doctorin', and she made people feel better. Then she married Sully and our ma was getting real sick from ca . . ." The name of the disease escaped the young boy for a moment.

"Cancer," Matthew helped him, swallowing hard.

"That's right. Well, our real ma told Dr. Mike and Sully that she wanted them to take care of us. When she died, we went to live with them. Then they had Connor and Daniel, and we're a big family again." Olive looked at Matthew, and he nodded. Robert E. broke in.

"Miss Olive, it sure is nice to see you again."

"Hello Robert E. It's been a long time." Olive smiled at the man. Robert E. liked her even though she wasn't exactly proud to call herself a friend to a colored person. But she was one, and Grace was surely going to want to see her. "Grace sure is gonna be happy to see you."

"Grace! Oh, where is she?"

"She's in with our ma," Matthew replied. Matthew pointed to the door, and a moment later, Olive was bustling through. Colleen's eyes lit up.

"Miss Olive!"

"Hello darlin'!"

"Excuse me, but you can't just come bustling through my door!" Michaela exclaimed angrily.

"Olive!" Grace panted as another contraction swept over her. It took Michaela a few moments to register that this was Olive Davis, Loren's sister.

"It's alright, Grace. Robert E. just told me . . . oh my goodness!"

"It's too early for her," Michaela pointed out. "If you're here to help, go help Myra bring in the warm water from the other room." Michaela watched as Olive hesitated for a moment at taking orders from this newcomer. But she finally did what needed to be done and returned with Myra and the warm water a few minutes later.

"What in the world is an Indian child doin' back there?"

"I don't think that's of anyone's concern at the moment," Michaela replied. "Right now, what matters is getting this labor stopped."

"Please save my baby!" Grace cried out as she gripped Michaela's hand with one of hers and Olive's with the other.

"I'm doing everything I can, Grace. Just try to relax," she whispered.

"Don't you worry, Grace," Olive whispered.

"Come on, Grace," Myra whispered, "just relax." Grace tried, but a moment later, Michaela noticed that Grace's amniotic sac had burst. Grace screamed out.

"What happened?!"

"I need everyone but Colleen to leave."

"I ain't leavin'," Olive said sternly.

"Please go!" Michaela ordered. Olive saw the blood on Michaela's hands, and she realized it would be best if she did leave. She and Myra left together, and Colleen looked at Michaela.

"Ma?"  
"Colleen, go get me a fresh blanket, now." Colleen nodded, and Grace began to sob.

"Please save my baby. Please save my . . ." She felt the urge to push, and she couldn't stop herself. A moment later, a tiny child entered the world. Tears flooded Michaela's eyes. Colleen bit back a gasp when she saw the child, and Michaela wrapped it up into a blanket. Grace passed out on the table, and Michaela saw that she was starting to bleed heavily.

"Is it . . ." Colleen whispered.

"I'm afraid so," Michaela replied grimly. "Please go tell Robert E."

"What do I tell him about Grace?"

"Tell him I'm doing everything I can." Michaela sighed heavily and examined the tiny child as quickly as she could. There was no saving it, and the cord had wrapped around its neck. But it had been so early that even if that hadn't occurred, it wouldn't have been able to survive without being fully developed.

Michaela put the stillborn child aside and began to work to save Grace's life.

Colleen walked outside, tears in her eyes. Her cheeks flushed red from being upset, and when the cold hit them, they began to turn brighter. Robert E. stood shakily.

"Everythin' grew so quiet," he said softly. The Reverend had his head bowed in prayer.

"She couldn't stop it. Grace's water . . . it broke. The baby came so fast," Colleen whispered.

"Oh God no," Robert E. cried, falling to his knees on the porch. Myra and Olive, although they were complete strangers, began to hug each other in their mutual grief for their friend. Horace put a hand on his friend's shoulder and helped him to stand. "How's Grace?"

"She's doin' everythin' she can to save her."

"What was it?"

"A little girl." With that, Robert E. began to pray for the life of his wife and for the soul of his little girl up in Heaven. Colleen walked back inside of the clinic, shutting the door quietly behind her. Michaela was just starting to finish up with Grace.

"How is she?"

"She's going to pull through." Michaela sighed heavily and began to wash her hands in the basin.

"What do we do about the baby?"

"We'll wait until Robert E. and Grace have had some time with her, and then we'll make arrangements for burial."

"It ain't fair. They were lookin' forward to havin' that baby."

"You're right, Colleen. But this happens a lot. You'll see a lot of this in medical school and in your career as a doctor."

"I know," Colleen replied. "I just wish there could have been somethin' . . ."

"I know," Michaela agreed. She sighed heavily. "Why don't you go start cleaning up while I prepare a room upstairs?"

"Sure," Colleen replied.

"Actually, I'm going to go speak with Robert E. first." Colleen nodded again, and Michaela headed outside. This time, Robert E. wasn't anywhere in sight."

"Where is Robert E.?"

"He walked over to the livery. We figured he'd want some time alone," Matthew replied. Michaela nodded. "Matthew, will you and Brian go to the store and get your brothers? Bring them here, get Early Sun, and take them home?"

"Sure ma," he responded. "C'mon, Brian." The boys walked over to the mercantile while Michaela started over toward the livery. Olive hurried to catch up to her.

"Dr. Quinn?"

"Olive Davis?"

"So you've heard of me?"

"Yes," Michaela replied. "You run a ranch, and you've been in Mexico for the last couple of years."

"Yeah," Olive replied. "How's Grace?"

"She's going to pull through."

"Good."

"You're close with her?"

"I gave her a job after she was freed."

"That was kind of you."

"She's a good woman."  
"Yes she is." Michaela noticed how Olive kept staring at her.

"Is there something you wish to ask me?"

"I ain't never heard tell of a lady doctor."

"Well now you have," Michaela replied.

"Loren never mentioned ya in his letters. Never mentioned Charlotte givin' the children to ya either."

"She did more than give them to me, Ms. Davis."  
"Please call me Olive."

"If you will call me Dr. Mike." Olive nodded slowly. "She signed adoption papers. She knew she was dying and wouldn't let me treat her. She wanted her children to get used to the fact that she wouldn't be around, so she had them spend time with me. I never expected to come out here and inherit three children, but I have, and I love them dearly. I know you were one of Charlotte's good friends."

"I was," Olive said with a nod. "If Loren would've told me, I'd have come out here as quick as I could have. But I didn't get word till after she'd died." Michaela swallowed hard.

"She was a remarkable woman."

"Yeah," Olive replied. "How are the children?"

"They're fine. They miss their mother, but they're adjusting well to their new family."

"I should have been here. I could have taken them in and off your hands."

"What makes you think I wanted them taken off my hands?" Michaela asked, turning to stare into Olive's eyes.

"Well, you're young yet and newly married. I figured that you'd be wantin' time alone with your husband."

"My husband and I love those children."

"You're married to Abagail's husband," Olive pointed out.

"Abagail is dead," Michaela replied with exasperation.

"Loren actually agreed to this marriage?"

"Loren didn't have to agree to anything. It really wasn't any of his business."

"What were you thinkin', marryin' a widower?"

"I don't see how that is any of your business!" Michaela exclaimed angrily, "I will not explain myself to you!" Michaela stalked off and slowed her steps once she reached the livery. She looked behind her to see that Olive was walking over toward the mercantile to reunite with her brother. She shook her head and turned to see Robert E. fashioning a small coffin. "Robert E.?"

"How's Grace?" The tone in the blacksmith's voice broke Michaela's heart.

"She's pulling through," Michaela replied. "You can go sit with her."

"I will just as soon as I finish this."

"Robert E., she is going to wake soon. She'll need you."

"I said I'll go as soon as I finish this!" Robert E. snapped.

"I know you're in pain."

"You ain't lost a child, Dr. Mike. You don't know. I've lost four children in my life, and now I just lost another one." Michaela didn't know what to say. Robert E. never spoke of his days in slavery, and now she knew that he had had four children before he was a free man.

"I know you're hurting. I've seen this so many times, Robert E. Grace is going to need you to be there when she wakes up."

"How am I gonna face her? Our baby's dead, and she's gonna think . . ."

"She's going to think you love her no matter what if you go sit with her."

"But I do love her. I love her more than anythin' in this world."

"Then let her know that," Michaela whispered, putting a hand on Robert E.'s. "This can wait." She glanced at the coffin. Robert E. swallowed hard, and nodded. He started off toward the clinic to be with his wife and the daughter he never got the chance to hear cry.

A few days had passed, and the new year had begun. After the stillbirth of the baby, Grace had woken to be devastated at the loss of her daughter. She and Robert E. had buried her in a private ceremony, not inviting any of their close friends. Some people were offended, but Michaela and Sully both understood that they needed time to grieve alone.

Mary had gone to visit Grace often, and it worried people that perhaps having the little girl around would upset Grace even more. But on the contrary, Mary's presence seemed to help Grace heal. Horace didn't mind Mary spending time with her either.

A marshal had arrived and apparently Cassius had been wanted for fraud, and the marshal who had come for him didn't grant mercy to him. Cassius had been forced to sign over his rights to his granddaughter, and now Horace was going through the adoption process to legally make Mary his daughter.

The town was adjusting to having Miss Olive back. Michaela hadn't spoken with her since Olive rudely asked her why she married Sully considering the fact that he's a widower. Michaela had spoken with Sully about this, and he told her that Miss Olive is a lot like her brother; stubborn and lacking tact in most occasions.

Michaela had had a lot on her mind lately, including her possible pregnancy. She hadn't been feeling well, but that could have also been caused by her feelings of grief for Grace and Robert E.'s loss.

On this day, Sully was caring for the young ones at home while Matthew, Colleen, and Brian attended school. Mary had stayed home today so she could go visit with Grace. Horace had wanted her to go to school, but she was excelling in all of her work, to the surprise of many people in town, so he knew it wouldn't hurt to let her take one day off.

Michaela was sitting at the clinic and working on a write-up on one of her patients. She knew it was nearing noon because her stomach was beginning to growl from hunger. She decided that she'd start home so she could eat. Grace had closed down the café at Robert E.'s urgings. She hadn't wanted to, because she wanted to keep her mind off of losing the baby, but Robert E. and Michaela both wanted her to rest for a week or so.

Just as Michaela was standing to grab her coat, a knock came to the door. A doctor in a fancy coat walked in with a smile on his face. Michaela's eyes lit up.

"Dr. Bernard?!"

"Dr. Quinn," he said, tipping his hat.

"I completely forgot you were coming. Please forgive me."

"That's quite alright. Most expectant mothers get a bit scatterbrained at times." Michaela laughed and shook her head.

"Well, I'm not sure if I'm expecting. The symptoms seem to come and go, and I'd like your opinion."

"Well, if we can move to an upstairs room to have more privacy, I'd be happy to give you a complete exam." Michaela nodded, and Dr. Bernard started upstairs to prepare for the exam. Michaela locked the door to the clinic before she headed upstairs to find out for sure if she was going to have another baby.

"No! Don't do that!" Sully exclaimed as Early Sun threw a handful of oatmeal at him. She was sitting up in her high chair, slumping actually, and she was having a merry time of throwing food at her white father.

Sully had taken Early Sun out to the reservation to spend a night in Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird's teepee. The baby had enjoyed being with her real parents again, but the transition of bringing her back to the Sully homestead hadn't been as difficult this time.

Connor and Daniel were no longer sleeping, and both were crying for attention.

"I've got to get the boys, Early Sun. Come on, please stop throwing . . ." Before he could get another word out, she hit him square in the eye with a handful of the sticky food. He groaned and pulled the bowl away from her as she clapped her hands together, making an even bigger mess. Sully cleaned himself off and picked Connor up. "C'mon son. Don't make today so hard on your pa." The boys were nearly four months old, and they seemed to be getting bigger by the day. Sully was proud of them, but the older they got, the more they liked to cause headaches for their pa when he stayed home with him. When Michaela would come home, however, they would be sleeping like perfect angels, giving her the impression that they had been easy for Sully as well.

The boys loved their pa, but they loved to make him struggle. It was as if they were young cubs challenging an old bear. When Sully and Michaela would want some alone time, the boys could sense it and start crying. Poor Sully was about to go crazy from the lack of sleep, lack of attention from his wife, and from running around all day, trying to indulge the needs of his young sons and his brother's daughter.

Connor seemed to calm down quickly, but when Sully went to tend to Daniel, he wasn't so easily consolable. He cried non-stop for about fifteen minutes, and Sully tried everything to calm him. He tried feeding him from a bottle Michaela had made. She was starting to trust being away from them for hours at a time. She would make bottles up for them and take the children into school. Sully was happy to stay at home with them, but they didn't take to the bottles quite as well because they were used to Michaela nursing them.

Once Daniel had finally cried himself to sleep, Sully was able to bathe Early Sun and dress her in a cute dress Michaela and Colleen had made for her. As soon as the infants were all asleep, Sully walked outside to play fetch with Wolf and Pup. He didn't get to spend as much time with his beloved companion as he used to, but it was always fun when he got a few extra minutes to himself.

He tossed a stick off toward the barn and both dogs went after it, tumbling over one another as they wrestled for it. Sully laughed and shook his head. He couldn't believe how incredibly happy he was. As a child he'd always dreamed of having a big family with a beautiful wife. He'd even pictured his family with having two dogs. He couldn't believe that his dream had become a reality without him even knowing it.

He could hear the familiar rattling of the wagon as Michaela approached the homestead. He could see that she was alone, and a bit late. She was supposed to be home around noon, but it was nearing one in the afternoon. He was concerned, and he wondered if she was alright.

When the wagon approached, Michaela slowed it down to a stop, and Sully helped her out of the wagon.

"Afternoon," he whispered, giving her a kiss on the lips. Michaela smiled against his lips and kissed him back. When they pulled away, Michaela stared into Sully's eyes. "Michaela? What is it?"

"I've just come from my appointment with Dr. Bernard." Sully realized what that meant. Michaela had news.


	6. Going Forward

**Chapter 6: Going Forward**

By mid-February, Michaela was cutting back her hours at the clinic simply because the nearly five-month-old twins and the eight-month-old Cheyenne baby needed her attention. Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird visited the homestead often to see their little one, and she never once became confused about her parents. She knew who they were, but she also knew that Michaela and Sully loved her just as much as they loved their own children.

Considering the fact that it was Michaela's twenty-seventh birthday and Valentine's Day, Sully wanted his wife to take the day off of work so he could have the entire day with her. Colleen, Matthew, and Brian were going to stay at Hank and Myra's with the children so they could have the entire day to themselves. However, Hank and Myra wouldn't even be there to watch them, because they were spending the day in a secret spot that only they knew about.

The night, however, would not be spent privately for Michaela and Sully. Myra and Hank would be home, and they would definitely not want to spend Valentine's night with six children in the house. They would go home to Michaela and Sully, so whatever romantic gestures Sully had were going to have to be made during the daytime while the children were at Hank and Myra's empty house.

Both Michaela and Sully loved the children they had, and finding out that Michaela wasn't pregnant hadn't disappointed them too much. Sure, they both wanted more children together, but they had sat down and decided that it was probably best if they waited a little while longer before having more children. Though it couldn't be prevented, Michaela had the feeling that they wouldn't be blessed again until the twins were older. Their lives were so incredibly busy that it was hard to balance work, family life, and romance all at the same time.

Michaela walked down into the kitchen after the children had left for Hank and Myra's. Sully was cleaning up after breakfast, and the faint aroma of breakfast still floated through the air. Michaela smiled when she saw her husband working so hard to make sure her day was special. The older children had all left notes on the bedroom door, wishing their mother a happy birthday. She figured that Sully's birthday present for her would come later on.

Sully smiled when he saw his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail while she wore her favorite everyday dress. It was amazing how Michaela could look beautiful in anything. She hadn't tried it yet, but Sully was sure that she could make even the ugliest flour sack look like the latest fashion from Paris.

"Happy birthday," he greeted her, walking over to place a kiss on her cheek.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she replied. Sully wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lovingly.

"You remember what happened last year, don't ya?" Sully asked.

"Hmm," Michaela replied against his lips. "We found out we were going to have a baby." She looked over at Connor and Daniel's empty cradles. "It's hard to believe, Sully."

"What?"

"It's hard to believe that my dreams are coming true."

"I think the same thing everyday. I never thought I could have all this. But when I'm with you, I feel like I have it all."

"Even though we aren't having another baby?"

"Michaela, we talked about this. I love you and the children we have now. When the next one comes along, I'll be thrilled. We don't gotta rush this time." Michaela smiled happily.

"I'm glad you think so," she replied. They embraced one another again. Michaela sighed heavily and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm another year older."

"Michaela, you're only twenty-seven."

"I know. But it seems as if the time has gone by so fast."

"Well, no matter how many years go by, you'll still be just as beautiful as the night I met ya." Michaela pulled away from Sully and walked over to warm her hands by the fire. She sighed heavily, and Sully stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned against him and he kissed her neck, letting his hands roam down to massage the sides of her hips.

"That feels nice."

"Mmm," he replied. Michaela grinned and felt Sully's hands traveling around to rub against other parts. She closed her eyes, taking in all of the careful attention he was giving her.

"What do you think the odds are that we'll have a completely uninterrupted afternoon?"

"Well, we'll just have to see," Sully replied with a wink. Michaela turned in his arms and her hands rested on Sully's hips. She looked down, but Sully tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "Since today is your birthday, what would you like to do, Mrs. Sully?"

"Hmm," Michaela pondered. "There are many things I would love to do, but I'm not sure we could fit them all in during one afternoon."

"We could try," Sully replied, raising an eyebrow. "Just name it."

"Well, first I would like to go horseback riding. I haven't gotten much time to ride Flash since Snow Bird presented her to me."

"Alright, what else?"

"Hmm . . . I'd also like to go for a walk in the woods. I want to visit the lean-to."

"What else?"

"I want to come back here and spend the rest of the afternoon in the arms of my husband."

"Like this?" Sully asked, pulling Michaela close and kissing her lovingly.

"Mmm, yes," she replied, "but instead of standing in front of the fire, we'll be lying in one another's arms in bed." She blushed at her own words, and Sully smiled knowingly. He kissed her softly, tracing his tongue along her lips. Michaela inhaled his wonderful scent and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

The wind picked up outside and began to howl. It swirled through the rafters at the top of the house, causing Michaela to shiver. Sully pulled her closer, and they held one another, staring into each other's eyes until silence filled the room. Sully's heart was beating so fast with his heartsong next to him. He felt more alive than ever when he was holding Michaela in his arms.

"Sully," she whispered, her hand moving to brush against his cheek. "Tell me a story."

"A story?" he asked.

"Mmm," she mumbled.

"Let's see here," he thought, kneeling down before the fire, holding Michaela's hand and gently pulling her down with him. He added two logs to the fire and leaned his back against the edge of a chair. Michaela sat on the floor beside him, resting her head on his chest. "What kinda story?"

"About you," she replied.

"I ain't got many stories to tell."

"Sure you do," Michaela replied. "I want to hear a story of when you were younger . . . before Abagail." Sully kissed the top of Michaela's head and he began to think back to when he was young and on his own. As soon as he thought of something to tell Michaela, he began his tale.

"I was still a very young man . . ."

_Byron Sully made his way down the muddy trail, running as fast as his legs would carry him. Gunshots rang out as he clutched a basket of food in his hands. He'd been without food for a week, and hadn't wanted to steal it, but the family using the picnic basket didn't seem interested in their leftovers. He needed food to survive. Normally he would hunt for his food, but there was nothing around to hunt._

_He was headed toward California, and was still a thousand miles away from his destination. He had to find some way to get by from day to day. He mainly stayed on one road and hid from horse thieves and bank robbers. He knew the kind. He could tell from the look of them when they'd ride down the road followed by gunfire. Sully found it better for his safety to stay inside the woods and keep an eye on the road on most days and nights. _

_His companion was a female wolf whom he'd found a few weeks ago. He hadn't named her, but she seemed to be loyal to him. She would protect him during the night and help him find food when there was actually game around._

_At the moment, Sully and his companion were running as fast as they could with the basket full of leftovers. Who knew someone would get so fired up about food people were finished eating? There were only a couple of biscuits and two very cold pieces of fried chicken, which he intended to share with his trusty wolf._

_"Come on girl!" Sully called as he and his wolf made a mad dash for the woods. As soon as they'd found themselves hidden by the trees, the sounds of the angry men on horseback faded away. Sully sighed heavily and opened up the old picnic basket. He held a very small drumstick out for his wolf. She took it in her teeth, held it there for a moment, and waited for Sully to take a bite of the other piece of chicken. Once he did so, she happily began to chew at the small amount of meat that was on the bone._

_Once their meal was finished, Sully threw the basket aside and stood up._

_"We best get goin' girl," he whispered. "It's gonna get dark soon." The dog barked in response, and the two traveling companions continued on West, still hungry after their meager meal of leftovers._

Michaela let out a heavy sigh, interrupting her husband. Sully looked at her questioningly.

"Hmm?"

"You had to steal to eat? That's terrible, Sully."

"It was before I found my way," he explained.

"The wolf . . . was she Wolf's mother?"

"Yep," he replied. "She was with me for 'bout ten more years. After Wolf was born, she got shot when a deer hunter shot into the bushes." Michaela sympathetically put a hand on Sully's shoulder.

"I'm sorry for interrupting. Go on."

_The wind was picking up, and Sully could feel it chilling him to the bone. He had constructed a tent, but it had been blown down by the extremely strong gusts. The rain was hammering down on him, and as he sat on the cold hard ground, his trusty wolf laid across his lap, trying to keep her master somewhat warm._

_The sound of horses approaching worried Sully, and he pulled a knife he'd found out of his back pocket. He heard voices next, and before too long, everything was silent. He fell asleep that night, leaning against an oak tree, praying that the lightning would strike and end his miserable life._

_When he woke in the early hours of the morning, he found himself naked and wrapped in a fur blanket. It was still dark, and he found that a young Indian man was sitting at his side. What was an Indian doing so far from Indian territory? Sully hadn't encountered many Indians, but he'd sure heard many stories from his ma before she died._

_"Who are you?" Sully asked, not sure if the Indian could speak English. He swallowed hard, finding that his throat was scratchy. He winced from the uncomfortable feeling. The Indian held a cup out to him. Sully wasn't sure what to think. "What is that?"_

_"It will help your throat," he replied. Sully took it and drank it slowly, finding that his throat felt better already._

_"Thank you." The Indian nodded. "Who are you?"_

_"Who are you? You looked lost when I found you."_

_"Name's Sully," he replied._

_"Cloud Dancing," the young Indian replied. Sully extended a hand and Cloud Dancing shook it._

_"Where are you from?"_

_"The Colorado territory."_

_"You're far from home."_

_"I am on my way home. You look as if you do not know where home is."_

_"I don't have a home, but I'm goin' to California. Maybe work the mines."_

_"You are young."_

_"So?"_

_"You have not found your way."_

_"My way?" Cloud Dancing smiled and shook his head._

_"You have a lot to learn, Sully. Travel with me, and I will teach you." Sully didn't know what else to do. He had nobody to talk to except for his loyal wolf, and he could use the traveling companion. He simply nodded, and the friendship that would last a lifetime was formed._

"So that's how you met him?"

"Seems like I've known him longer," Sully admitted. He kissed Michaela's cheek. He stood and pulled her up. "Ya ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"Horseback ridin', remember?"

"Oh! Right," Michaela replied with a chuckle. Sully helped her with his coat and then put his on. They headed out to the barn and mounted up, starting off toward the woods. Michaela breathed in the mountain air.

"As soon as the snow melts," Sully began, "we'll bring the boys out here. Maybe even Early Sun will come too."

"She has to go back to Snow Bird and Cloud Dancing next month."

"Yeah," Sully replied with a nod. "It'll be strange not havin' her around. It's been kinda nice havin' another girl 'round the house." Michaela nodded in agreement. She yawned a little and looked up at the beautiful sky. The snow began to flutter down from the sky. Sully smiled as Michaela held her head back and opened her eyes, sticking her tongue out to catch the snowflakes. She caught him staring and stopped only to grin.

"I haven't done that since I was a child." She looked down at the snow-covered ground, biting her lip.

"What's on your mind?"

"I just thought of something else I'd like to do."

"What's that?" Michaela dismounted Flash and laid down in the blanket of snow. Sully watched her with an amused smile on his face. She began to move her arms and legs back and forth and up and down.

"Snow angels!" Sully laughed, loving the look on his wife's face as she played and had fun. "Come on! Join me!" She reached her hand out and he dismounted his horse. He slowly walked over and reached out to take her hand. She pulled him down into the snow beside her and laughed when the snow coated Sully's hair.

Once they had finished up, they mounted their horses again and rode off at a quicker pace, racing one another on a clear dirt path.

"I never made snow angels as a child."

"Never?" Sully asked with wide eyes. Michaela shook her head.

"Mother was always afraid we'd catch a cold." Sully laughed and shook his head. "I always swore to myself that if I ever had children, I'd never deprive them of anything fun." She shook her head.

"You're a good ma, Michaela. You've been great with the kids."

"You think so?"

"'Course I do. So do they." Michaela grinned and held her hand out. The two rode side-by-side and hand-in-hand for the rest of the afternoon. They rode quietly until they could no longer bring their horses with them. When they dismounted, they tethered their horses to a strong fallen oak. Hand-in-hand they walked through the woods until they reached Sully's old lean-to. It had been alone for quite some time, and the furs covering it had started to fade in the sun. Sully brushed the snow off of one of the furs and set it out underneath the lean to. He sat down and Michaela sat down beside him.

"It's so nice and peaceful here," she whispered. Sully pulled his arm around her, and they leaned against one another, listening to the sounds of nature and enjoying the peace and quiet they had been missing out on over the past few months.

Several hours later, Michaela lay sleeping in the warmth and comfort of Sully's arms in their bed. Her skin was warm against his, and her breath was slow and steady. She was so very happy, and he knew she'd enjoyed their afternoon together.

He couldn't help but smile when he thought of Michaela making snow angels. She'd been so innocent and child-like, and he found it endearing. He loved when Michaela let the child inside out for a while. She was serious most of the time, and he knew it was healthy for her to have fun. He wanted her to have fun more often, because if it was possible, it made their lovemaking even better. Michaela was always enthusiastic and up to the occasion, but after having such a fun, relaxing day, Michaela seemed to be a bit more energetic than usual. Now she was exhausted and sleeping happily in her husband's arms.

The way the sunlight played across the room told Sully that the children would be returning home within a few hours. He knew he should get some sleep, because once the six of them arrived at the house, he wouldn't be able to relax until they'd all gone to bed.

His hand brushed against her shoulder, admiring her beautiful skin. When he'd first met her, her skin had been a beautiful creamy white. Now it was just as beautiful but tanned by the sun. Western life suited her well, and she seemed to grow even more beautiful by the day.

Sully closed his eyes, letting sleep settle over him. His arms held Michaela protectively, though she didn't need protecting. His heart knew hers, and even in their sleep, they watched over one another, and both of them knew it would be that way for the rest of their lives.


	7. To Grandfather's House We Go

**Chapter 7: To Grandfather's House We Go**

Time seemed to fly by quickly, and March was in progress. Early Sun would be returning to her birth parents in the morning, so the Sully family was spending their last evening with her. The girl was strong and healthy, and her parents were eager to take her back into their care.

The twins were a full half-year old, and they were growing stronger by the day. They definitely had their own personalities. They both had their father's dark brown hair, but it was straight and soft like their mother's. Michaela was enjoying how much the boys were growing, though it saddened her a bit to know that soon they wouldn't be completely dependent on her. She wanted them to grow of course, but she knew that soon, they wouldn't rely on her for everything.

Colleen was sitting on the floor in front of the fire with Early Sun in her lap. She loved having a little girl around the house to play with, because it was just like having a sister. She was sad that the nine-month-old would be going home to her parents in the morning, but she also understood that the child's presence in their home was only temporary. It just seemed as if she hadn't been there long at all. The little one was becoming quite a delight to have around.

Early Sun crawled out of Colleen's lap to sit on the floor next to Connor and Daniel. The boys were developing wonderfully, and were able to sit up on their own for short periods of time. Michaela and Sully were also seated on the floor after having moved the kitchen table aside so the family could play with the young ones. Brian and Matthew were seated on either side of Colleen, so a protective circle was formed around the three young ones.

Early Sun looked up at Sully and grinned, bringing her hands up above her head and clapping them. Michaela laughed.

"Early Sun, are you excited to go back to your mama and papa tomorrow?" Michaela asked. Early Sun squealed with delight, and Brian laughed.

"I think she understands ya, ma," Brian pointed out.

"Oh I'm sure she does," Michaela replied. "I believe even Connor and Daniel understand me."

"They still ain't talkin'," Matthew pointed out. "Brian was 'bout six-months-old when he started talkin'. His first words were 'dada.'"

"Yeah, and he said 'em, to me," Colleen replied, rolling her eyes. Sully and Michaela laughed.

"I think they'll start talkin' soon," Sully replied. "The other day, I was givin' the boys a bath, and they started babblin'."

"They've been babbling for awhile now," Michaela agreed. "I think they'll be talking before we know it."

"It's hard to believe, ya know? Seems like they were born just yesterday," Colleen said with a grin. "Now we've got Early Sun, but she's goin' away tomorrow. I was getting used to havin' a little sister."

"We've all gotten used to havin' her around," Sully replied. "I think it'll take some getting used to, but we'll adjust to things bein' like they were before."

"Oh but they'll never be the way they were before," Michaela pointed out. Everyone stared at her. "The boys are growing older and becoming their own selves. We're all changing. Matthew, you're preparing to go to college in the fall. Colleen will be going in a few years . . ."

"I'll still be around, ma. I ain't even ten yet," Brian said with a grin. Everyone laughed and Connor crawled over to his mother's lap. He had started crawling before Daniel, but Daniel had quickly caught on to his brother's advanced mobility and was soon trying to show him up.

"Come here, my little one," Michaela said with a grin, scooping her boy up into her arms. Connor grinned and giggled as Michaela held him above her head. Early Sun held her harms up to Brian, and he pulled her into his lap. Daniel sat in the middle of the circle, staring at his family. When he saw that his mama was holding Connor and that Early Sun was getting attention too, his lower lip began to quiver and he started to fuss. Sully knew what was coming, so he picked the boy up with hopes of stopping the outburst before it happened.

"Alright, son, it's okay," Sully soothed. But the boy didn't listen to his father, and he began to scream. Michaela jumped in alarm and Sully winced. "Shh. Daniel, don't cry son. Pa's here." Colleen's eyes widened. Her little brother sure had a set of lungs on him. Connor heard his brother's cries, and because his brother was crying, he began to cry as well.

"Oh dear," Michaela whispered to deaf ears. Nobody could hear anything over the boys' cries. Early Sun was startled, and she began to scream and squirm in Brian's arms. Soon, Wolf and Pup were sitting at the door, begging to be let out and away from the cries of the three screaming infants. When nobody moved to let them out, they ran up the stairs, hoping to escape from the noise by hiding in the master bedroom.

"Let's take 'em outside for some fresh air," Sully said above the screams.

"What?!" Michaela asked. Sully pointed to the door, and Michaela nodded. She took Daniel into her arms and Brian handed Early Sun to Sully. Michaela followed her husband out onto the porch with the infants, and Brian quickly shut the door to block out some of the noise. Colleen, Matthew, and Brian quickly made themselves busy upstairs with cleaning their rooms so Michaela and Sully wouldn't call on them to try to console the screaming babies. Yes, they were fun, but when they got like this, it took a lot to get them to calm down.

Out on the porch, Michaela paced back and forth quickly with a boy on each hip. Sully tried holding Early Sun up so she'd giggle. He tried playing the eagle game where she'd hold her arms out like she was soaring through the sky. But, she would not play the game to save her life, and Sully gave up. He sat down on the porch and began bouncing her on his knee. Connor's screams stopped, and he was simply hiccupping, but Daniel was still going strong.

"Sully, we should take a walk," Michaela suggested.

"Walks never work, Michaela."

"I know. I meant just us." Sully laughed and shook his head. He knew Michaela was partly joking, but he also knew that both of them cherished silence when they could get it.

A wagon approached the homestead, and Michaela and Sully could see that it was Horace with Mary in tow. Michaela tried rocking back and forth with the boys in her arms, and once Daniel began to calm down, Early Sun gave up, and her tear-stained cheeks returned to their normal shade instead of bright red.

"Evenin' Dr. Mike, Sully," Horace said, tipping his hat.

"What brings ya out here, Horace?" Sully wondered.

"There's a fella in town, says he knows ya, Dr. Mike," Horace said quietly. Michaela looked at Sully and then at Horace.

"Did he give you a name?"

"Yeah. His name is Silas Parker." Michaela's heart caught in her throat. Sully noticed Michaela tensing up.

"Sounds like ya do know him," Sully said quietly, curious as to who this Silas Parker was.

"Yes," Michaela whispered. "I do know him." She hurried toward the door.

"Michaela?"

"We need to go into town. Please go hitch up the wagon." Sully nodded and handed Early Sun to Horace while he rushed to the barn to hitch up one of the two wagons.

The Sully family sat at Grace's while they waited on Silas Parker to arrive. Michaela had only mentioned that he was her father's lawyer. While they were waiting at Grace's, Brian helped feed Early Sun some of the filling from an apple pie. Michaela looked as pale as a sheet, and Sully was worried about her.

Connor and Daniel had worn themselves out, and they were sitting in their father's lap, resting their heads against him. Grace, who had finally began feeling like her old self, was filling glasses of cider. She would look at Michaela and Sully's family and feel jealous, but she would keep those feelings bottled up on the inside. She had to stay strong. She had to keep telling herself that she and Robert E. would get their baby one day. It had to happen.

Silas walked into the café wearing a fancy business suit. He immediately took a seat across from Michaela.

"Michaela Quinn! I haven't seen you since you were as high as my knee."

"Mr. Parker, what are you doing here?" Michaela asked forwardly. He swallowed hard.

"I was passing through Denver when I received a telegram from Boston. Your father is ill, and he wanted me to go over his will with you."

"His will?!" Michaela asked. "I will not!" She refused to believe that her father was going to leave this world. "Why didn't my sisters send word?"

"They would have, but Josef wanted me to tell you. He forbade your sisters from contacting you." Sully's hand moved to hold Michaela's, and her hands felt as cold as ice.

"How serious is it?" Michaela asked. "Is it his heart?"

"I'm afraid so," Silas replied. Michaela looked at Sully, tears forming in her eyes.

"We need to get to him. We need to go to Boston."

"I know," he replied. "I'll make arrangements." Michaela nodded her appreciation. The older Sully children were silent, watching their parents as the news settled in. Josef was ill and that was all they knew.

Silas had started off toward Denver to catch the train the night before, so he would arrive in Boston a full day ahead of the Sully family. But in the morning, the stagecoach arrived at eight to take Michaela, Sully, and the children to Denver to catch the train to take them to Boston.

The Sully family said their goodbyes to Early Sun at dawn when Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird arrived to pick her up. The beautiful little girl seemed to be upset to leave her foster family, but she also loved being with her parents again.

Everyone was upset to see her go, but they also knew they had to focus on getting to Boston to see Josef. The children were going to Boston for the first time, and Michaela was nervous to be going back for the first time since she'd left with Sully.

She had busied herself the night before, picking out the children's nicest clothes, but not really thinking about the fact that their nice clothes weren't exactly good enough for Boston. All she cared about was the fact that her father was ailing, and if anyone objected to the children's style of dress, they were going to have to deal with it, because Josef was what was most important.

Sully and Michaela settled into the stagecoach with the boys in their laps. Colleen, Matthew, and Brian piled into the other seat, and the family was silent for the first hour of their journey.

After awhile, however, Brian grew restless and looked at Michaela.

"Ma?"

"Hmm?" she asked softly

"How long will it take to get to Boston?"

"Hopefully there will be no delays and it'll take us just under a week."

"If there are delays?" Colleen asked. Michaela swallowed hard, praying that Josef would still be alive when she arrived. She knew her father was strong, but he was getting very old. He wasn't going to be able to hold on forever.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," she said simply. She smoothed back a piece of hair on Daniel's head that seemed to never want to obey the hairbrush. Daniel looked up at his mother, his big eyes staring into hers. He grinned and pointed to her. Michaela smiled, not being able to resist cracking a smile for her beautiful little ones.

Matthew tipped his hat so the sun wouldn't be in his eyes. He settled back in his seat so he could get some rest. He hadn't had much sleep the night before, and frankly, that was all he was interested in at the moment.

Colleen knew that Michaela's nerves were on edge, so she remained quiet while Brian followed her example. Sully's hand held Michaela's, and he would cast her reassuring glances every once in awhile just to let her know that he was there for her and he loved her.

As the day wore on, the stagecoach passed by the place where Michaela was once abducted from her family. Sully was relieved that Michaela didn't seem to notice. She was too focused on reading up on her father's condition in one of her medical books.

Sully was holding both of the boys now so that Michaela could concentrate, but they were growing restless, and it was only a matter of time before one of them began to fuss.

"Ya think Wolf and Pup are alright?" Brian wondered as the sun began to fall after noon passed by.

"Sure," Sully replied. "Robert E.'s gonna take real good care of 'em while we're gone."

"How long will we be gone?"

"I don't know, Brian," Sully replied honestly. Brian looked at Michaela, but decided to let her be for now. He eventually closed his eyes and fell asleep, followed by Colleen, as the stagecoach rolled along the prairie, carrying the Sully family to Denver to board a train to Boston.

Michaela had never had this reaction to being on a train before, but she was feeling poorly and jumping up every few minutes to find a place to privately get sick. Sully knew she was feeling like this, so he had the children sitting in a separate section in their train car with the babies.

The children were worried, because they'd see Michaela pass by their seats every time she would get up, and Sully would follow shortly after her to offer moral support. Michaela was dreadfully upset over her father's ailments, and going back to Boston under this circumstance wasn't making it any easier.

As Michaela sat back down in her seat, Sully handed her a damp rag, and she used it to wipe off her sweaty face. She was pale and shaky, and she knew that once she got to Boston and could see her father, she would feel much better. She just wished that she didn't have to wait for several days before getting word. What if he passed away before she could say goodbye like her mother did? God wouldn't let that happen, would he?

"It's gonna be alright," Sully whispered, running his hand against her clammy cheek. Michaela nodded weakly and closed her eyes. She leaned her head on Sully's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Just get some sleep now. You'll feel better when you wake up."

"I hope so," she replied. She gripped Sully's hand, and she soon dozed off into a shallow sleep. She couldn't dream, and she could still hear everything going on around her. She couldn't relax, and she felt as if her entire life was catching up with her. Everything had moved so fast in the past year and a half. What if this was God's way of slowing it all down and letting it all catch up to her?

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Michaela looked up to see that Sully was beginning to doze off. She smiled a little, and leaned her head back, thinking about her family.

She was blessed with a wonderful husband and five amazing children. She had come out of one of the wealthiest families in Boston, and now she was living a much simpler life, but she liked it that way. She could do without the fancy dresses, though a girl had to dress up sometimes. She could do without the fancy food or the maids. Life was so much better and more worthwhile now that she worked hard to get what she wanted. When she was young, all she had to do was ask her father. He was like her own personal wizard, making her dreams and wishes come true one by one.

A loud squeal woke Sully from his almost slumber. Michaela stood up, her stomach feeling much better. Sully reached out to her as the train screeched to a halt.

"Sully?" Michaela wondered with wide eyes. Screams were heard from a forward compartment, and Sully knew there was trouble.

"Stay here," he whispered, grabbing his tomahawk. He started out of their compartment and toward another car of the train. Michaela stood in the aisle, watching after her husband, hoping to God that this was just a dream. She sat down and the children came in to sit with her.

"What's goin' on?" Brian asked worriedly.

"Where's pa?" Colleen questioned.

"It's alright," Michaela whispered. She brought Daniel into her arms, and his sleepy head rested on her shoulder. "Sully's going to take care of everything." She swallowed hard and waited for his return.

A few people came running through the door separating the train cars. Matthew stopped one young man by grabbing his arm.

"What's goin' on?"

"Train's bein' robbed! Some fella's up there tryin' to wrestle away the gun!" The man took off toward the exit of the train.

"Ma, we better get off here and wait," Matthew suggested. As much as Michaela hated the idea of exiting a train in the middle of nowhere, she knew that if the train was captured by the robbers, she and the children would have no way of escaping. She knew in her heart that Sully was going to take care of it. "There's a train station 'bout two miles down the tracks." Michaela looked at Matthew, knowing he would have been looking out for those kinds of things. She simply nodded, and exited the train with her children along with the other frightened passengers.

The train was still and all was silent. A crow began to circle overhead, and Michaela knew that wasn't a good sign. Brian clung to Michaela's skirt while Daniel continued to sleep in her arms. Colleen's arms grew tired after awhile, and she handed Connor to Matthew. He kept an arm around his little sister to let her feel safe.

Several frightened folks had already started off toward the train station a few miles back, but Michaela couldn't leave. She didn't want to go anywhere without knowing whether or not Sully was safe.

The howl of a wolf in the distance startled a few children of other passengers, but the Sully children remained calm, knowing that the wolf wouldn't come near them, and they were smart enough not to go near the wolf.

After several more minutes of silence, the train began to inch forward.

"Ma!" Colleen screamed.

"It's alright, Colleen! It's alright," Michaela attempted to assure her. Her own voice was filled with fright, however, so it wasn't an easy task. A moment later, the train halted again and a gunshot rang out, sending the rest of the passengers, excluding the Sully family, running for the woods.


	8. Change of Plans

**Chapter 8: Change of Plans**

After five minutes of silence following the gunshot, Michaela placed her twin sons in the care of their older siblings as she started toward the train.

"Ma! What are you doin'?" Matthew asked quickly. A few other passengers lingered around, wanting to know exactly what had happened.

"Someone has been hurt," Michaela replied, climbing up into the train car, clutching her medical bag tightly in her left hand. She turned back to her children.

"If neither Sully or I come out in ten minutes, I want you to follow the rest of the passengers to the nearest station."

"Ma!" Colleen cried out.

"It's going to be alright," Michaela promised her with a forced reassuring smile. Colleen and Matthew held their baby brothers protectively as Michaela slowly started to walk through the car. She made her way through four different train cars, and soon, she could see movement from the conductor's cabin. The moment she saw Sully, a weight lifted from her chest. She saw him moving, and he looked fine. "Sully!" Silence followed for a few painful moments.

"Michaela!" he called after her. Hearing Sully's voice let Michaela know that everything was safe now. She made her way into the conductor's cabin to find Sully pinning one robber to the ground. Another lay bleeding beside him. Michaela rushed to the bleeding one. "Don't bother with him. He's dead." Michaela searched Sully's eyes, needing him to tell her that he hadn't killed him. Sully knew what she was thinking. "I didn't kill him. He aimed for me but the train moved forward. He stumbled and shot his own partner." Michaela swallowed hard. She looked at the other robber. "Don't worry 'bout him either. He didn't hurt nothin', except maybe his pride. One conductor's hurt, and the other one's just a bit dazed."

"Go outside and tell the children we're safe." Sully nodded and stood, pulling his prisoner to his feet. The man struggled, but Sully tightened his grip on the man's arm.

"I wouldn't be strugglin' with me if I was you, mister. It ain't in your best interest. Start walkin'." The man spat, but followed Sully's instructions. Michaela went to work at trying to extract the bullet from the injured conductor's shoulder. The man screamed in pain, but tried to keep his head about him while the doctor worked. The second conductor watched on as he slowly regained his composure. He was young and obviously not used to railway robberies and hijackings. Luckily neither man had gotten away with money or the train itself.

"Are you feeling alright?" Michaela asked the young, stunned conductor.

"This was my first trip 'cross the country," he admitted. Michaela frowned with worry. Perhaps they would have to back track to the previous station after all.

"Do you think you'll be able to get us to Boston?"

"I can get us to New York," he replied. "I'll have to report this as soon as we arrive. There'll probably be a layover for a night, but you'll be able to board a different train the next day on your same ticket." Michaela nodded uncertainly as she found the bullet and carefully extracted it from the injured conductor. The man had passed out from the pain, but once Michaela checked his pulse, she knew he was fine. She would have to monitor him closely once the train started toward its destination again, and she knew he wouldn't be in any condition to work for a few weeks.

"We will have to get him to a hospital in New York then," Michaela concluded as she began to suture.

"You're really a doctor?" the younger man asked. Michaela nodded slowly, trying to keep her mind on the matter at hand. "What's gonna happen to those robbers?"

"My husband will arrange for the one to be buried," Michaela said, motioning toward the fallen robber. "He'll probably keep the other one in his custody until we arrive in New York."

"He some kind of a marshal?"

"No," Michaela replied, finishing her suturing. "He's just a concerned citizen." She bandaged the conductor's wound. "Help me carry him to a cabin."

"Sure thing," the younger man replied, becoming less nervous by the minute. Michaela and the young man put the older conductor in a seat, lying him down comfortably.

"I need to clean up. My family and a few other passengers are waiting outside."

"I'll let them know it's safe to board," he replied. "What's your name, Mrs.?"

"Michaela Sully, but you can call me Dr. Quinn," she replied.

"I'll try to remember that," he responded with a laugh. "Name's John Lewis." Michaela smiled at the young man who wasn't much older than Matthew.

A few minutes later, Michaela had gotten herself cleaned up, and she was greeted by her five children as they re-boarded the train.

"Ma? Are you okay?" Brian asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Where's Sully?"

"One of the other passengers is helpin' him put the robber in the back train car," Matthew replied.

"Alright, well, I'd like for us to travel in the same cabin for the rest of the trip. Come sit inside," Michaela suggested. The children piled into the compartment, and Michaela got in last, saving room for Sully to sit down.

Some passengers had come back to the train while others continued on toward the station a few miles back. Once everyone that was continuing was on board, Sully talked with the young conductor before they took off for New York. Sully finally re-joined his family, relieving all of them, Michaela especially. Sully could have been seriously injured. He took lots of risks, but sometimes those risks were so great that his own life was at stake. Michaela was thankful no harm had come to him while he was saving the train from being completely overtaken by robbers.

A few days later, the train pulled into a station in New York, and the young conductor escorted his superior to a hospital, sent a telegram to his boss about the robbery, and assisted Sully with making arrangements for the living prisoner and the dead.

Once all matters were taken care of, the remaining passengers were put up in a hotel, paid for by the railroad because of the inconvenience.

Matthew, Colleen, and Brian all had their own beds in the Sully family's suite. A room attached to it held a bed and two cradles, especially requested for the twins. Once they arrived in the rooms, Michaela and Sully put their sons down for a nap, and Michaela laid down onto the bed to rest. She was feeling better than she had been on the train, but spending that much time without a soft bed to sleep in seemed to tire her out even more. The children were also tired and went right for their chosen beds to nap. Sully was a bit tired as well, so he laid next to his wife, pulled her close, and tried to get a few hours of sleep.

Unfortunately, sleep wasn't what Connor and Daniel had in mind for themselves or their parents. As soon as Sully and Michaela started to nod off, Connor sat up in his cradle and began to bang on the side of it. Daniel followed his twin brother's lead.

"Dada!" Connor cried. Sully sat up quickly, and Michaela followed his lead.

"What?!" Michaela asked. "Was I dreaming?"

"If you heard what I heard, neither of us were dreamin'," Sully replied. He looked at the boys who were both grinning at them.

"Dada!" Daniel called out. Soon, both boys were babbling the word, and Sully had tears in his eyes.

"They're calling for you," Michaela said with a grin, half disappointed that their first word wasn't 'mama,' but also elated that her six-month-olds had just let their parents know they were beginning to speak. Both parents jumped out of bed and rushed to pick up their sons. They carried them over to the bed and sat down with them.

"You're talking! I can't believe it!" Michaela exclaimed, holding Connor close while Sully bounced Daniel in his lap. Sully was laughing happily though the boys had stopped talking and were now merely giggling at their parents' delight.

The feeling Michaela was experiencing right now was overwhelming. She felt so incredibly happy that her boys were speaking for the first time, and knowing that made her feel as if she'd succeeded in some way. Her boys seemed to be a bit more advanced than most babies their age, and that secretly made her feel very good inside. Feeling that good made her believe she could be a great mother over and over again to her current children and to any future children that might come along.

Sully noticed the look in his wife's eyes; the light in her face that glowed as she smiled with pride. He knew she was thinking about future children again, and he couldn't be happier that her mind was off of worrying about her father at the moment. He hated when she worried so much. Of course he was worried about Josef, but he hoped the old man could hang on for his daughter's sake. Michaela loved him dearly, and he'd been the one man to ever fully support her until Sully came along.

"They're growin' up fast, huh?" Sully asked with a sparkle in his eyes. Michaela nodded, biting her bottom lip Tears glistened in her eyes, and she let a sharp breath escape as she shook her head.

"It's amazing how quickly they've picked up on things. It's as if they're competing with one another. When one began to crawl, the other was determined to do so and accomplished it in the same day. It's the same with talking."

"A little competition ain't so bad," Sully replied. "But they'll learn they don't gotta beat each other at everything. For now, though, I think it's good 'cause they're learnin' how to be their own selves."

"That's very wise, Mr. Sully," Michaela whispered, kissing her husband lightly on the lips. He pulled her close, and they sat together with their children in their arms. It was hard to believe that it had only been half of a year since their sons were brought into the world. Now here they were, learning how to talk and becoming two different little people. It was an amazing thing to witness, and neither Michaela nor Sully would change a thing.

Once the boys had finally gone to sleep, Michaela and Sully settled back down onto the bed, wrapped in each other's warm embrace. A fire crackled in the fireplace across the room, and that, mixed with the steady breaths of the two lovers was all that could be heard.

A couple of days later, the Sully family was greeted at the train station by Rebecca, Marjorie, Claudette, and Maureen. The four sisters wore no colors of mourning, so Michaela took that to be a sign that Josef was still with them.

After greetings, hugs, and kisses, everyone made their way to the Quinn household where Harrison and Martha showed the children to their rooms.

The house was quiet, not being filled by the sound of her mother calling for assistance from the maids, or the sound of her father humming as he looked over his patients' files. The smell was even different. The fragrance of Josef's cologne no longer lingered in the corridors, and the aroma of Elizabeth's favorite dessert no longer wafted from the kitchen. From the moment Michaela stepped foot into her Boston home, she felt that everything had changed yet remained the same.

The same flower arrangement stood in the same crystal vase in the center of the foyer. The same drapes covered the windows, keeping out the early morning sun.

"Wow, ma! This is where you grew up?" Colleen asked as she looked up at the small but fancy crystal chandelier that was hanging above the staircase.

"Yes," Michaela whispered with a nod, seeing the overwhelmed and excited expressions on her oldest children's faces. Even Matthew, who hadn't wanted to leave Ingrid at first, had a curious look in his eye. Sully, who had seen the place before, was holding Daniel and pointing out different things while the baby looked on in amazement.

Michaela shifted Connor to her other hip, and looked at her sisters.

"We should go see father."

"We will as soon as the children have had something to eat," Marjorie insisted.

"Of course," Michaela replied with a smile. "Children, why don't you follow Martha into the dining room?" Colleen took Brian's hand and walked with Matthew toward the dining room, while Martha disappeared into the kitchen.

"Alright, let me see my little nephews," Rebecca said with a grin. She took Connor into her arms while Marjorie snatched Daniel. Michaela's four sisters took turns passing the boys around, and Michaela couldn't help but smile. Sully reached for his wife's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She turned to him and he leaned down to kiss her while the ladies were preoccupied with Connor and Daniel.

"You okay?"

"Of course. Why would you ask?"

"I'm just worried 'bout ya. You've been through a lot." Michaela nodded and looked down.

"Yes, we all have. But father would want us to remain strong."

"I think you're right."

"Shall I take you to your old room, Mrs. Sully? Dr . . ."

"It's alright, Harrison," Michaela laughed. "Dr. Quinn is a bit formal, and my name is rightfully Michaela Sully."

"Then Mrs. Sully it is, ma'am," Harrison replied with his thick British accent. Sully chuckled as Michaela's eyes lit up at. They managed to pry the boys away from the four sisters, who seemed to be flocking about them like crazy geese.

Once they were in the privacy of Michaela's old bedroom, Sully looked around.

"Never saw your room while I was here." Michaela winked at him as they put the boys down on the bed.

"Well, now I can give you a proper tour of the entire house."

"I'd like that," Sully replied. He pressed his lips against hers, and a moment later, their kiss began to turn passionate and more intense. Just then, the door burst open. Brian hurried in and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his parents kissing.

"Sorry," he said quietly, looking away. Michaela and Sully quickly pulled away from one another, and Sully rested his hand on Michaela's back, rubbing it tenderly. They both laughed a little, letting their son know he hadn't done anything wrong.

"What is it, Brian?" Michaela wondered.

"I got the big room down the hall! I called it first, so tell Matthew and Colleen." Michaela and Sully glanced at each other with knowing grins on their faces.

"Ah yes, that was your Aunt Rebecca's room," Michaela recalled. "The biggest room in the house, however, is my mother and father's."

"Can we go see it?"

"Perhaps later," Michaela replied with a grin. "Go back down to the dining room. I'm sure Martha is ready to serve lunch."

"Are you and pa comin' down?"

"We'll be down in a while," Sully promised.

"Okay," Brian replied. He hurried out of the room, looked both ways, trying to remember which way the stairs were, and bolted down the hall once he caught the faintest whiff of food.

Michaela turned to Sully, her body wanting to continue what they had started, but her mind was telling her otherwise." She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Perhaps we should go downstairs and join the children. I want to see father as soon as we can."

"Sure," Sully replied. He kissed his wife lovingly before they picked up the boys and started downstairs to join their children.

Michaela's shoes clicked down the hallway of the oh-so-familiar wing of the hospital. Sully walked beside her, and both were carrying a child in their arms. Colleen, Matthew, and Brian walked behind their parents, not knowing what to say about their grandfather's condition.

Michaela's sisters had decided to wait at the Quinn house so Michaela and her family could spend time with Josef.

Dr. William Burke was Josef's physician, and Michaela had never had the chance to meet him. She saw him standing outside of Josef's room, and immediately saw that his eyes were fixed on her. Michaela glanced at Sully, and she knew he was seeing the same thing.

"Dr. Quinn?" William asked. Michaela nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Dr. Burke?"

"Yes, but you may call me William. May I call you Michaela?"

"Actually, Dr. Burke, my father would not appreciate me acting as his physician in this case, so you may call me Mrs. Sully." Michaela smiled and looked at her husband, wanting Dr. Burke to know straight off that she was married and happily so. Dr. Burke swallowed hard, slightly embarrassed, and opened the door to Josef's room.

Michaela immediately rushed to her father's side with Daniel in her arms.

"Mike!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up when he saw her. The rest of the family walked in, followed by Dr. Burke, and Josef sat up.

"Father, you shouldn't exert yourself."

"Mike, I'm letting you know right now that you will not act as my physician. Dr. Burke is perfectly capable, and all I need you to do is act as my daughter." Michaela nodded.

"I will respect your wishes father, because I expected you would say that, but I don't understand. You're the one that encouraged my wishes to become a doctor."

"And I am very proud of you. But, you should not be working right now. You should be spending time with your family. That is what I want most in this world, to see my daughters and their families happy. I want to leave this world knowing that my youngest little girl was enjoying herself instead of working."

"Father, don't speak like that. You're going to be alright." Josef looked at the children.

"Perhaps this conversation isn't meant for some ears."

"We're stayin', grandpa."

"Sully, will you take them outside?"

"No. We ain't leavin'," Matthew replied. "We got a right to be here. He's our grandpa." Michaela looked at Josef.

"Very well," he replied. He took a labored breath and began. "My heart is failing. I've suffered three attacks in the last week. Dr. Burke believes that there is a blockage in the main artery, along with disease that has spread throughout. Mike, it is a miracle that I've made it this far."

"Grandpa," Colleen whispered.

"Don't worry, my dear. Your grandma will have someone to keep her company."

"Father!" Michaela exclaimed. "I refuse to just let you take the diagnosis at that. I would like to listen to your heart."

"What did I say earlier?"

"I won't examine you if that's what you wish. However, I would feel better if I could listen to your heart myself." Josef sighed.

"Very well, if it will make you feel better." Sully took the boy out of Michaela's arms. Dr. Burke handed Michaela his stethoscope, and the room grew quiet so Michaela could make a basic diagnosis.

She frowned and shook her head, handing the stethoscope back to Dr. Burke.

"I'm afraid I must agree with the diagnosis, father," she replied quietly.

"I'm assuming old Silas showed you my will?"

"He tried," Michaela replied, "but I refused to look at it until I had come to see things for myself." Josef looked at the children.

"Sully, perhaps you should take the children outside. I need to speak with my daughter for a few minutes. Dr. Burke, please leave us as well." Everyone except for Michaela and her father evacuated the room.

"Father?"

"Mike, I know you're upset."

"Upset?! Father, you're taking all of this very lightly! It's frightening!"

"What is so frightening about death?"

"I have lost so many people in the past two years. I lost Charlotte, mother, and Holly. I don't want to lose you too!"

"Mike, you knew it was going to happen sooner or later. I was sure I wouldn't live to see my first grandchild born. I was fortunate enough to see my youngest daughter get married and to walk her down the aisle. I was also fortunate to meet my grandchildren. I'm thankful this is happening later than I expected." A tear trickled down Michaela's cheek. "Mike, I have held on as long as I could. Last night, I had a dream about your mother. I'm about to see her again." Michaela's lower lip began to tremble, and she swallowed hard. "Mike . . ."

"I can't do this right now!" She stormed out of the room and rushed down the corridor. Sully and the children watched her as she rushed into the ladies washroom. Sully handed the boys to Colleen and Matthew before starting down the hall after her.

"Michaela?" he asked, knocking on the door. He could hear the sounds of Michaela emptying the contest of her stomach. She had upset herself so much that she was made herself sick.

"Leave me alone!"

"I ain't gonna leave you alone." Everything grew quiet, and Michaela stepped out of the washroom a few minutes later after having cleaned herself up. She looked into Sully's eyes, and her tears began to flow. Sully took her into his arms and held her close. "It's alright."

"It's not," she cried. "He's just giving up! He's accepting this without a fight!"

"Your pa's been fightin' for a long time, Michaela. He feels like it's his time."

"It doesn't have to be!" Michaela insisted. "He can't die!"

"I know you've looked up to him since before you can remember. But you gotta be strong for him, because he needs you there through this. I didn't get no choice in the matter when my ma and pa died. My pa died when I was real young, and I wasn't there with him. My ma died by drowin' in the river, and I had to hear it from somebody else. You're lucky enough to be here with your pa like he wants ya to be here."

"How can you be so calm?"

"'Cause I know what it's like to lose someone ya love."

"I've lost so many people, Sully. I can't lose him too." She clung to him, not wanting to let go. Sully kissed the top of her head. "I wish there was something I could do!"

"The best thing you can do now, Michaela, is be with him. He needs you now." Michaela looked up into Sully's eyes, realizing that the last bit of life that Josef had left was what mattered the most right now, not the life that he should still have but wasn't getting.

"Will you be there with me?" she asked as if she was a young child, afraid to get a shot from the doctor. Sully squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"I'll always be there."


	9. Another Goodbye

**Chapter 9: Another Goodbye**

Michaela, Sully, and the children walked into the Quinn house after Josef's funeral. Everything was different now. Everyone wore black to mourn the loss of Josef Quinn, and to add to the frustration, Silas had presented the family with Josef's will on the carriage ride back from the cemetery.

Josef had left the children, and any future children, more than half of his money. The rest of the money was split between Michaela and her four sisters, though he left out some money for Harrison and Martha. Everyone had come to the decision that Josef had been fair in his dealings, and it wasn't right to argue over any minor details.

The funeral had been a short service and a quick burial. Josef clearly stated that he didn't want people to cry over him, but that hadn't been possible. The children and Josef's daughters all wept for the passing of the beloved patriarch of the remaining Quinn family.

Josef had sold the house and everything inside. He had left enough money for Harrison and Martha to find their own homes to live in. It seemed as if he'd taken care of everything. Now the only thing left of Josef Quinn was his memory. His wing of the hospital had been left in Michaela's care, but of course she wouldn't be around to manage it. She wanted to keep her father's practice alive, but it just wasn't the best thing to do. She had five children and a husband to worry about, along with her own medical practice.

While reading Josef's will, Michaela signed over the Josef's patients, transferring them to the few doctors at the hospital whom she thought deserved more patients. For a few solid minutes, Michaela had had the power of over half of the hospital in her hands. Now it was gone, and she was left feeling unsure of her decision.

When the children retired to their rooms to rest up for the journey back to Colorado Springs, Michaela sat down on the edge of her old bed and stared at herself in the floor-length mirror.

Sully came in after having dropped the boys off in Colleen's room, and he noticed the blank look across Michaela's face.

"It's been a big day. You ought to get some sleep."

"I can't sleep, Sully. Not at a time like this." Sully took a seat beside his wife and took her hand in his. Her emotions broke through again, and the tears began to fall. "Oh Sully, why now? Why did it have to happen now?"

"C'mere," he whispered, pulling his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Her tears lightly dampened his shirt as he rocked her back and forth. "I ain't gonna tell ya not to cry, and I ain't gonna tell ya to cheer up. Both of us know how tough this is, and it's gonna get better someday."

"How do you get over something like this? I feel like I haven't fully gotten over what's happened to father, mother . . . Charlotte . . ."

"Ya never get over it, but it gets easier to live with as time goes on," he whispered, stroking her tear-soaked cheek. Michaela bit her trembling lip, and Sully began rubbing her back soothingly.

"I remember my father taking me for a walk when I was no more that five years old," Michaela whispered. "I had been quarrelling with my mother, because she wouldn't let me wear the party dress that I wanted to wear." She smiled a little in remembrance. "We took a walk through the common, and I asked him if he was angry with me. He said, 'Mike, I'll never be angry with you for fighting for what you want.'" Michaela looked up into Sully's eyes. He couldn't smile and tell her it was going to be okay, because that rarely ever helped anyone who was grieving. What he could do was be there for her; let her know that he would always support her.

"Sounds like you've got lots of good memories with your pa." Michaela nodded.

"Yes," she replied with a nod. "He also told me that one day he'd bring his grandchildren through the common. He never got that chance. I think that's the only promise he's ever made me that he's broken."

"I'm sure he didn't intend on it," Sully replied. Michaela nodded.

"I know I'm acting childish."

"You ain't actin' childish at all, Michaela. You're missin' your pa, and you've got a right to."

"I just feel like I'm letting him down. He didn't want us to cry for him."

"Don't go frettin' 'bout that," Sully whispered. He kissed her hand. "Everybody's gotta cry sometime." Michaela yawned a bit, and Sully kissed her forehead. "Please try to sleep. For me?" Michaela merely nodded and leaned back on the bed, resting her head against the pillows. He waited until she fell asleep before slipping out of the bedroom and walking downstairs.

He stood before the large window in the front of the house, looking out over the busy Boston streets. He smiled as he thought of the first time he and Michaela danced together. She had looked so brilliantly beautiful, and he could remember her eyes lighting up at the sound of the music coming from the park. An idea struck him, and he grabbed his coat, leaving the Quinn house, and starting toward the park.

Business was slow for Grace today, seeing as a rainstorm had completely flooded several roads. The townsfolk who regularly ate at the café had already come and gone twice. Now Grace was sitting at one of her tables, staring into a cup of cider. Robert E. was working at the livery, and Grace was thankful that he didn't have to be there to witness her in one of her moods. While she would like him to be there to hold her, she felt it was best if she didn't bring him down with her. He was still grieving over the loss of their daughter, but in a different way. Grace and Robert E. rarely spoke anymore, except to greet each other in the morning and say their goodnights when they went to bed.

They loved each other dearly, but they both thought they were doing what was best to give each other some room. The night the baby died had been the hardest. Grace had cried herself to sleep, and Robert E. had tried hopelessly to ease her tears. She still cried, but not at night anymore. She bit back the tears so Robert E. wouldn't have to go to sleep hearing his wife's sobs.

As far as most of the townsfolk knew, Grace and Robert E. were doing fine. Sure, they were getting on with their lives, but they were far from fine, especially emotionally. Robert E. hated leaving his wife alone all of the time, but when he would try to talk to her, she would get emotional or would tell him she wasn't feeling up to talking. He kept telling himself that she would come around, but until then he should back off.

It pained Grace to send Robert E. away when she was so upset. She wanted him to hold her in his arms through the night to help her feel better, but she couldn't bring herself to ask for his help. She felt like she had to be strong. For most of her life, she'd been a slave and wasn't allowed to cry. Now she was a free woman, and she wanted to feel like she could take care of herself too. She wanted to feel strong, but truthfully, she wasn't feeling strong at all.

"Grace?" Grace looked up, not having heard Myra's voice the first couple of times. Myra sat down beside her. "Grace, are you feelin' alright?"

"Oh! Myra, 'course I'm feelin' fine," Grace replied quickly.

"Sorry my break took longer than usual. Hank was feelin' poorly, so I took him home and made him some tea."

"That's fine," Grace replied, standing up to put more coffee on the stove. "Business is slow today anyway. You're just lucky your road didn't get washed out."

"Yeah," Myra replied. "We saw several wagons stuck in the mud." Myra realized that Grace wasn't interested in talking. "Grace? If there's somethin' on your mind, you can tell me. I'm your friend."

"I know that," Grace replied. "I just don't have nothin' to talk about."

"You were obviously thinkin' 'bout somethin'. Ya didn't even hear me call for ya the first two times."

"I was just thinkin' 'bout getting started on tomorrow's menu." Grace started walking about, and Myra's eyes followed her. She quickly got up and started over toward her.

"Grace, ya don't gotta work yourself so hard." Grace had had enough of people trying to get her to relax. She spun around and stared Myra in the eyes.

"Why don't ya take the day off, Myra? I'm closin' up."

"Closin' up?" Myra asked with worry.

"That's right. I'm goin' home."

"Do ya want me to bring ya anythin'?"

"No! I just want everyone to leave me alone!" Grace exclaimed. She knocked the coffee pot off of the stove and jumped as it crashed to the ground. Myra stood frozen with worry as Grace started off toward her and Robert E.'s house near the livery. Robert E. saw Myra, and followed her gaze toward Grace. Myra rushed over to him.

"Maybe ya should talk to her. She said she wants people to leave her alone, but I don't think she should be alone right now. She's closin' up for the day." She turned toward the café to clean up and put away the table cloths in case of rain, like Grace usually did at the end of the evening.

Robert E. cautiously opened the front door to his home with Grace. He could hear her upstairs. She was pacing. Pacing. Pacing was what she did when she was thinking, and she did a lot of that lately. He swallowed hard, knowing that she was going to shut him out again. He couldn't let her do it this time. He had to step up and be there for her. He realized now that he shouldn't have let this go on for so long. He should have helped her long before. He only hoped that it wasn't too late.

He slowly ascended the stairs, each footstep causing the stairs to creak. He knew Grace could hear him coming, because he heard the pacing stop and the springs on the bed give way as she sat down on the edge. Once he reached the door to the bedroom, he slowly turned the handle and walked inside.

"Grace? Myra said you're closin' up for the day."

"Sure am," she replied, standing up and walking over to take the pins out of her hair, letting the black locks fall down her shoulders. Robert E. nervously stuck his hands inside of his pockets and cleared his throat.

"Wanna talk to me about it?"

"Ain't nothin' to talk about."

"You know that ain't true."

"Why can't ya just believe me when I tell ya I'm fine?"

"'Cause I know ya ain't fine. I know you're still grievin' over the baby."

"Don't talk about her," Grace snapped.

"I have a right to talk about her. We can't pretend she never existed, Grace. She did, and she was real. She wasn't with us for very long, but when she was growin' inside of you, she was a part of our lives."

"I don't want to talk about this, Robert E.!" Grace exclaimed. "Not now!"

"Then when?!"

"I just ain't ready yet!"

"You're never gonna be ready, Grace, and neither am I. But we gotta talk about it sooner or later."

"I can't," Grace sobbed, sinking down into the rocking chair she used to rock herself in when the baby kept her up late with her kicking. Her hand moved to her flattened belly, and the tears began to cascade down her cheeks. Robert E. knelt down beside the chair and took Grace's hands in his.

"I love you Grace, more than anyone I've ever loved in my whole life. I ain't never had someone as special as you come into my life. I ain't willin' to lose me."

"You ain't losin' me," Grace replied, blinking away the tears.

"I am. Every time you turn me away, I'm losin' a little piece of you. Every time I see that pain in your eyes, I'm losin' more of you. I hate seein' you like this. I know ya wanna be strong, but ya can't be strong without lettin' it all out sometimes." Grace sniffled and pulled her hands away from her husband's. She dried the tears from her eyes, and reached out to caress Robert E.'s cheek, catching a falling tear with her thumb.

"I'm sorry, Robert E., I truly am," she whispered. "It's just that I feel like I'm all alone."

"Ya ain't alone. You ain't the only one who lost that little girl. I know what it's like to lose a child. I know I don't speak of 'em, but I lost children when I was a slave. It hurts more than anythin' to know that someone ya love is hurtin' in the same way you are, but ya don't know how to help 'em." Grace took a deep, shaky breath.

"I never thought I'd ever be blessed with a child," she whispered. "When I found out we were expectin', I was happier than I ever imagined I could be. Robert E. what if it never happens again? What if we ain't meant to have a baby?"

"We don't know if that's God's plan," Robert E. explained. "Some folks are blessed with children and others aren't. Even if it never happens, Grace, we can always adopt."

"Robert E. look at us! Nobody is ever gonna give us a child!"

"Just 'cause we ain't white?"

"Exactly 'cause we ain't white!"

"Grace, there are lots of kids out there that need a home. Colored children, Indian children . . ."

"I want a child of my own!" she insisted. "I want our little girl back!"

"She ain't comin' back, Grace, but she wouldn't want her ma to be actin' like this. She'd want her ma to go on and laugh again. She'd want her to be happy."

"I can't just forget her."

"I ain't askin' ya too. I'm askin' ya to try and get through the pain. I'm tryin' to do the same thing, and if we work together, we might be able to help each other." Grace looked into Robert E.'s eyes and saw how much pain he was in. She hadn't focused on him since the baby had died, and she realized now how much he was really hurting. She knew without a doubt now that he was in just as much pain as she was.

"I'm sorry," she cried. Robert E. pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry!" She began to sob, and Robert E. held her while she let it all out.

"I'm sorry too," he whispered. "But things are gonna get better. Just you wait. We're gonna have our baby, Grace, I swear to ya. We'll have our baby."

Late that evening, Sully had convinced Michaela to take a walk with him in the park. Matthew was watching the other children, and told his mother that she should get out and have a breath of fresh air. Michaela agreed to go, and Sully was leading her through the common and toward the park.

"Where are we going?" Michaela wondered as Sully's grip on Michaela's hand tightened a bit. He looked at her and smiled.

"Remember where we first danced?"

"Of course I do," she replied.

"Well, there ain't no dances goin' on, or any musicians playin', but we can make our own music."

"Sully," Michaela whispered, hesitating, "I'm not exactly in the mood for dancing." Sully pressed his lips against Michaela's knuckles.

"Your pa would want to see ya happy," he whispered. "He'd want ya to laugh and have fun."

"I know," Michaela replied. "I just feel that we should be getting back to the children."

"The children are fine," Sully insisted. Michaela could see that Sully was determined to have her dance with him. She smiled a little just knowing that he was so adamant about this. She knew he wanted to keep her happy all of her days, and that was something that made Michaela love him more and more with each new day.

Once they reached the spot where the dance was held that fateful night, Sully pulled Michaela into his arms. Michaela looked up into his eyes, and then up at the big, bright full moon.

"Look at all of the stars," Michaela whispered. "The sky is so bright, yet it's getting so late." Sully's eyes sparkled as he looked into Michaela's.

"The only light I see tonight is comin' from you." Michaela chuckled a bit at her husband's sweet words. He pressed his lips upon hers and pulled her even closer to him. They danced in silence for a few minutes longer until Sully finally took a deep breath and spoke again.

"Losin' Josef made me realize somethin'."

"What's that?" Michaela asked.

"It made me realize that we're really blessed." Michaela pulled away from her husband for a moment, not sure of his meaning.

"Blessed? How are we blessed by my father's passing?" Sully took her hand in his and kissed it softly.

"Look at us, Michaela. We've lost so many people we care about in the last couple of years, yet we still have one another and our kids. There are so many people who are much worse off that us, and I think we should be countin' each and every blessin' we've got. I mean, look at Horace and Mary. Horace lost the woman he loves, and Mary lost her ma after just findin' her. Jake loved Holly too, and he lost her. Robert E. and Grace had been wantin' that baby so much, and they lost her. They've still got each other and their friends, but they ain't got the kinda family we got." Michaela nodded slowly in understanding. She wrapped her arms around Sully and kissed his cheek.

"You're right," she replied. "No matter what we've lost, we've gained so much. Our love, our marriage, and our children. We are blessed." Sully and Michaela joined hands and walked off toward the house, counting their blessings in silence.

THE END


End file.
